Human Milk Banking In North America
Encyclopedia
A human milk bank is "a service which collects, screens, processes, and dispenses by prescription human milk
donated by nursing
mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant". There are currently eleven milk banks in North America
. They are usually housed in hospital
s, although sometimes they are free standing. They are members of the Human Milk Bank Association of North America (HMBANA) and voluntarily abide by HMBANA's annually revised "Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of a Donor Human Milk Bank." The guidelines were developed with the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and include protocols for soliciting donors, collecting, processing and distributing the milk. Some of these protocols are described below.
According to a joint statement by the World Health Organization
(WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund
(UNICEF): "The best food for a baby who cannot be breastfed is milk expressed from the mother's breast or from another healthy mother. The best food for any baby whose own mother's milk is not available is the breastmilk of another healthy mother" (UNICEF, p. 48). "Where it is not possible for the biological mother to breast feed, the first alternative, if available, should be the use of human milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations" (Wight, 2001).
s are growing, thriving, and under six months old when they begin (Arnold, 1997). Because there is some risk of passing infection
s and virus
es to babies through breast milk
, donors must undergo a medical screening and a blood test to rule out infectious diseases such as HIV
-1 and-2, hepatitis B and C
and syphilis
(Arnold, 1997). After administering a verbal or written questionnaire, healthcare providers for the mother and her baby must sign statements confirming that both are in good health.
The mother must not smoke
or regularly use any medication
s, herb
s, or megavitamins
. If she or her baby has a common cold
, she should not express milk for donation until they have recovered. If she consumes alcohol
, she must wait out an "exclusion period" of twelve hours before expressing milk for donation. For a premature or medically fragile recipient baby, even a tiny amount of alcohol, medications, or herbs in the milk may be problematic.
l counts before pasteurization
. Some milk banks pool milk before testing it, others test each mother's milk as it comes in before it is pooled.
Milk banks require freezers
and pasteurizers for processing milk. Most milk banks have two freezers, for unprocessed and processed milk. The HMBANA guidelines state that "all milk should be heat treated for 30 minutes at greater than 56°C. Heat treatment of milk occurs at 56°C for 30 minutes or 62.5°C for 30 minutes (Holder pasteurizing)" (Arnold, 1997, p. 243). At the end of pasteurization, another sample of milk is tested to make sure the treatment was effective. Colony counts should be zero and no bacterial growth should be detected (Arnold, 1997). Containers for pasteurizing must be able to withstand heating and cooling without breakage or leaking. Most containers are recyclable, usually glass
or plastic
.
from the recipient's physician. Often, it is used within the hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
(NICU) for premature or critically ill babies. Sometimes, however, donor milk is shipped to recipients' homes. In these cases, it is frozen, packed in special containers, and shipped over night.
Breast milk content of mothers of premature babies differs from that of mothers of full term babies (Wight, 2001). Therefore, most milk banks separate "preemie milk" – milk collected in the first 30 days after delivery of an infant less than 36 weeks gestation – from "term milk."
and WIC
will cover the costs of using banked milk (Arnold, 1999, Wight, 2001).
When hospitals order banked milk for their NICUs it is often brought into the pharmacy
and billed through the hospital. In these cases, insurance companies are much more likely to cover the processing fees than for outpatients (Arnold, 1997).
s, milk banks sometimes use newspaper, television and radio ads to solicit donors, especially when supplies are low (Arnold, 1997). NICUs with successful breastfeeding promotion and support often have mothers with excess milk, and they are frequently given information about how to donate their milk. In addition, mothers of infants who die sometimes choose to donate their milk.
Currently, many of the milk banks will receive milk from donors in states throughout the United States
depending on their supply. Donors should always contact the closest milk bank first.
s also sometimes receive banked milk. Occasionally, adopted
babies and mothers who cannot nurse their healthy babies use banked milk as well, often at their own expense.
When there is milk available some milk banks will distribute it to adults who are immuno
-compromised. Preliminary research indicates that breast milk can have nutritive, immunologic and palliative effects for cancer
patients (Radetsky, 1999). Adults with GI disorders and organ donation
recipients can also benefit from the immunologic powers of breast milk. More research is needed in these areas.
Besides the individual milk banks in the above states/provinces, HMBANA has sent donor milk to hospitals in 29 states and 3 provinces.
.
Breast milk
Breast milk, more specifically human milk, is the milk produced by the breasts of a human female for her infant offspring...
donated by nursing
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...
mothers who are not biologically related to the recipient infant". There are currently eleven milk banks in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. They are usually housed in hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s, although sometimes they are free standing. They are members of the Human Milk Bank Association of North America (HMBANA) and voluntarily abide by HMBANA's annually revised "Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of a Donor Human Milk Bank." The guidelines were developed with the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
(FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC) and include protocols for soliciting donors, collecting, processing and distributing the milk. Some of these protocols are described below.
According to a joint statement by the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
(UNICEF): "The best food for a baby who cannot be breastfed is milk expressed from the mother's breast or from another healthy mother. The best food for any baby whose own mother's milk is not available is the breastmilk of another healthy mother" (UNICEF, p. 48). "Where it is not possible for the biological mother to breast feed, the first alternative, if available, should be the use of human milk from other sources. Human milk banks should be made available in appropriate situations" (Wight, 2001).
Screening donors
Milk donors are new mothers who are in good health, whose infantInfant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
s are growing, thriving, and under six months old when they begin (Arnold, 1997). Because there is some risk of passing infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
s and virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es to babies through breast milk
Breast milk
Breast milk, more specifically human milk, is the milk produced by the breasts of a human female for her infant offspring...
, donors must undergo a medical screening and a blood test to rule out infectious diseases such as HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-1 and-2, hepatitis B and C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
and syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
(Arnold, 1997). After administering a verbal or written questionnaire, healthcare providers for the mother and her baby must sign statements confirming that both are in good health.
The mother must not smoke
Tobacco smoking
Tobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
or regularly use any medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s, herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s, or megavitamins
Megavitamin therapy
Megavitamin therapy is the use of large doses of vitamins, often many times greater than the recommended dietary allowance in the attempt to prevent or treat diseases...
. If she or her baby has a common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
, she should not express milk for donation until they have recovered. If she consumes alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
, she must wait out an "exclusion period" of twelve hours before expressing milk for donation. For a premature or medically fragile recipient baby, even a tiny amount of alcohol, medications, or herbs in the milk may be problematic.
Collection
Methods of collection and types of containers used vary among milk banks. Donors are educated about hygienic milk expression and given containers in which to express their milk. Some milk banks have collection points where couriers pick up donations, some have mothers deliver the milk to the facility, and others ask women who live far away freeze and ship their milk to the milk bank.Screening and processing milk
In addition to careful screening of donors, each batch of milk is tested for bacteriaBacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l counts before pasteurization
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
. Some milk banks pool milk before testing it, others test each mother's milk as it comes in before it is pooled.
Milk banks require freezers
Refrigerator
A refrigerator is a common household appliance that consists of a thermally insulated compartment and a heat pump that transfers heat from the inside of the fridge to its external environment so that the inside of the fridge is cooled to a temperature below the ambient temperature of the room...
and pasteurizers for processing milk. Most milk banks have two freezers, for unprocessed and processed milk. The HMBANA guidelines state that "all milk should be heat treated for 30 minutes at greater than 56°C. Heat treatment of milk occurs at 56°C for 30 minutes or 62.5°C for 30 minutes (Holder pasteurizing)" (Arnold, 1997, p. 243). At the end of pasteurization, another sample of milk is tested to make sure the treatment was effective. Colony counts should be zero and no bacterial growth should be detected (Arnold, 1997). Containers for pasteurizing must be able to withstand heating and cooling without breakage or leaking. Most containers are recyclable, usually glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
or plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
.
Distribution
Donor milk is dispensed by prescriptionMedical prescription
A prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient. Prescriptions may include orders to be performed by a patient, caretaker, nurse, pharmacist or other therapist....
from the recipient's physician. Often, it is used within the hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Neonatal intensive care unit
A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit —also called a Special Care Nursery, newborn intensive care unit, intensive care nursery , and special care baby unit —is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a...
(NICU) for premature or critically ill babies. Sometimes, however, donor milk is shipped to recipients' homes. In these cases, it is frozen, packed in special containers, and shipped over night.
Breast milk content of mothers of premature babies differs from that of mothers of full term babies (Wight, 2001). Therefore, most milk banks separate "preemie milk" – milk collected in the first 30 days after delivery of an infant less than 36 weeks gestation – from "term milk."
Costs
The HMBANA Guidelines stipulate that donors not be paid for their milk. However, collection, processing and distribution of milk are expensive, and recipients are charged $3.00-$4.50 per ounce of milk to cover some of the cost. Community fundraising and grants also help milk banks meet expenses. The guidelines ensure that no one is denied donor milk for lack of ability to pay. For non-hospitalized recipients, the milk bank will often work with the family to obtain coverage for processing fees (Arnold, 1997). However, insurance companies rarely cover donor milk, except under unusual circumstances (Griffith, 2002). In some states, and under some circumstances, MedicaidMedicaid
Medicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
and WIC
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children is a Federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and infants and children...
will cover the costs of using banked milk (Arnold, 1999, Wight, 2001).
When hospitals order banked milk for their NICUs it is often brought into the pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and billed through the hospital. In these cases, insurance companies are much more likely to cover the processing fees than for outpatients (Arnold, 1997).
Donors
Communities with milk banks use different methods to educate and solicit donors including brochures in doctors' offices and hospital information packets. Referrals also come from childbirth educators, nursing mothers groups, and La Leche League. Like blood bankBlood bank
A blood bank is a cache or bank of blood or blood components, gathered as a result of blood donation, stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a division of a hospital laboratory where the storage of blood product occurs and where proper...
s, milk banks sometimes use newspaper, television and radio ads to solicit donors, especially when supplies are low (Arnold, 1997). NICUs with successful breastfeeding promotion and support often have mothers with excess milk, and they are frequently given information about how to donate their milk. In addition, mothers of infants who die sometimes choose to donate their milk.
Currently, many of the milk banks will receive milk from donors in states throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
depending on their supply. Donors should always contact the closest milk bank first.
Recipients
Premature infants are the most frequent recipients of donor breast milk. Full term babies with gastrointestinal (GI) disorderDigestive disease
All diseases that pertain to the gastrointestinal tract are labelled as digestive diseases. This includes diseases of the esophagus, stomach, first, second, and third part of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, the ileo-cecal complex, large intestine , sigmoid colon, and rectum.-Esophagus:*Esophagitis -...
s also sometimes receive banked milk. Occasionally, adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
babies and mothers who cannot nurse their healthy babies use banked milk as well, often at their own expense.
When there is milk available some milk banks will distribute it to adults who are immuno
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
-compromised. Preliminary research indicates that breast milk can have nutritive, immunologic and palliative effects for cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
patients (Radetsky, 1999). Adults with GI disorders and organ donation
Organ donation
Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...
recipients can also benefit from the immunologic powers of breast milk. More research is needed in these areas.
Risks and mitigation
Two concerns are often raised by potential donor milk recipients and health care providers regarding potential risks of using banked human milk:- VirusVirusA virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es, including HIVHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
, have been shown to transmit through breast milk. However, as mentioned above, breast milk donors are screened very carefully. In addition, each batch of milk is screened and pasteurized and retested for the presence of bacteria. "There have been no documented cases of disease transmission from donor milk provided by a milk bank operating under standard practice." (Arnold, 1999, p. 3) All of the milk banks listed below abide by the Guidelines of HMBANA. Potential donors are excluded from donating under the following circumstances:- Receipt of a blood product or blood transfusionBlood transfusionBlood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
, or a tissue or organ transplantOrgan transplantOrgan transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
within the last 12 months. - Regular use of more than 2 ounces of hard liquorDistilled beverageA distilled beverage, liquor, or spirit is an alcoholic beverage containing ethanol that is produced by distilling ethanol produced by means of fermenting grain, fruit, or vegetables...
or its equivalent in a 24 hour period. - Regular use of over-the-counter drugOver-the-counter drugOver-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
s or systemic prescriptions (replacement hormoneHormoneA hormone is a chemical released by a cell or a gland in one part of the body that sends out messages that affect cells in other parts of the organism. Only a small amount of hormone is required to alter cell metabolism. In essence, it is a chemical messenger that transports a signal from one...
s and some birth controlBirth controlBirth control is an umbrella term for several techniques and methods used to prevent fertilization or to interrupt pregnancy at various stages. Birth control techniques and methods include contraception , contragestion and abortion...
hormones are acceptable). - Use of mega-dose vitaminsMegavitamin therapyMegavitamin therapy is the use of large doses of vitamins, often many times greater than the recommended dietary allowance in the attempt to prevent or treat diseases...
and/or pharmacologically active herbHerbExcept in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
al preparations. - Total vegetariansVegetarianismVegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
(vegansVeganismVeganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
) who do not supplement their diet with vitaminVitaminA vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s. - Use of illegal drugsIllegal drug tradeThe illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
or tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
products. - SiliconeSiliconeSilicones are inert, synthetic compounds with a variety of forms and uses. Typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, they are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medical applications , cookware, and insulation....
breast implants - A history of hepatitisHepatitisHepatitis is a medical condition defined by the inflammation of the liver and characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. The name is from the Greek hepar , the root being hepat- , meaning liver, and suffix -itis, meaning "inflammation"...
, systemic disorders of any kind or chronic infections (e.g. HIV, HTLVHuman T-lymphotropic virusHuman T-cell Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 , also called the Adult T-cell lymphoma virus type 1, a virus that has been seriously implicated in several kinds of diseases including HTLV-I-associated myelopathy, Strongyloides stercoralis hyper-infection, and a virus cancer link for leukemia...
, TBTuberculosisTuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
) (Arnold, 1999)
- Receipt of a blood product or blood transfusion
- Some of the worthwhile components of breast milk are compromised in the pasteurizationPasteurizationPasteurization is a process of heating a food, usually liquid, to a specific temperature for a definite length of time, and then cooling it immediately. This process slows microbial growth in food...
process. However, many are not. "Donor milk retains its bioactivity despite partial or complete loss of some components" (Arnold, 1999, p. 3). The enzymeEnzymeEnzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions. In enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process, called substrates, are converted into different molecules, called products. Almost all chemical reactions in a biological cell need enzymes in order to occur at rates...
s in breast milk (e.g. lipase) appear to be most affected by the heat. However, immune factors are less sensitive to heat and growth factors and fatty acidFatty acidIn chemistry, especially biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long unbranched aliphatic tail , which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have a chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually derived from...
s are stable at pasteurization temperatures. The lower the temperature at which safe processing can take place the better (Arnold, 1999). HMBANA Guidelines reflect careful research in this area.
Milk banks
Below is a list of states/provinces that have HMBANA member milk banks in North America:- British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
(BC Women's Milk Bank, Vancouver) - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
(Mothers' Milk Bank, San Jose) - ColoradoColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
(Mothers' Milk Bank at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical CenterPresbyterian/St. Luke's Medical CenterPresbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center is a hospital in the City Park West neighborhood of Denver. In speech and in writing, the hospital is referred to informally by its initials: P/SL.-History:...
, Denver) - IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
(Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank, Inc., Indianapolis) - IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
(Mothers' Milk Bank of Iowa, Iowa City) - MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(Mothers' Milk Bank of New England, Newtonville, MA) - MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
(Bronson Mothers' Milk Bank, Kalamazoo) - North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
(WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank and Lactation Center, Raleigh) - OhioOhioOhio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
(Mothers' Milk Bank of Ohio, Grant Medical Center,Columbus) - TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin, Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas, Ft. Worth)
Besides the individual milk banks in the above states/provinces, HMBANA has sent donor milk to hospitals in 29 states and 3 provinces.
Milk banking alternatives
Private milk donation is an alternative arrangement to milk donation through the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Private donation is a less formal method of donation that involves direct connection between mothers donating milk and the families receiving donations. Many families engaging in private milk donation, include blood testing and complete donor screening while involving a supportive care provider. This is a modern continuation of the ancient concept of the wet nurseWet nurse
A wet nurse is a woman who is used to breast feed and care for another's child. Wet nurses are used when the mother is unable or chooses not to nurse the child herself. Wet-nursed children may be known as "milk-siblings", and in some cultures the families are linked by a special relationship of...
.
External links
- HMBANA official site
- MilkShare - informational resource
- EatsOnFeets - Milk bank alternative