Why Donate?
There are many reasons why women donate their breast milk.
- Some donors have had preterm or sick babies of their own and know the value of human milk.
- Other women have a large amount of milk stored in their freezer and want to donate it to help another mother.
- Many mothers donate their breast milk because they see their own children thriving and want to give that gift to another.
- Yet other women donate because they are aware of the tremendous benefits of breast milk and want to support the growth and long-term health of premature or sick infants.
Regardless of their reasons for donating, all donors share a passion for breastfeeding and a genuine desire to help premature infants.
All babies need breast milk, but some, especially premature babies, have an extra need. Preemies are babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy. These tiny infants need human milk's rich nutrients and disease-fighting protection to grow.
Extensive scientific research has proven that breast milk is the best possible form of nutrition for infants. There is a shortage of human milk needed for critically ill and preterm babies. If you have extra milk, it can be processed and provided for these babies to help them grow and stay well.
Studies have demonstrated that for infants in the NICU, human milk, including banked milk, may provide benefits such as:
- Lower risk of serious infections of the lungs, intestinal tract, brain, inner ears, urinary tract and circulatory system
- Reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, diabetes, asthma, obesity, leukemia and other blood cancers
- Decreased infant medical costs and physician visits when compared with formula fed babies
- Reduced risk of death
Breast milk is vital to a baby's growth and it is important to distinguish that not all milk is the same. Mother's milk is ideal for infants because it is a complex fluid containing more than 100,000 different elements specialized to support human growth, development and long-term health. There are thousands of unique elements in breast milk that work to protect babies in a way that formula and medication cannot. Feeding babies human breast milk instead of formula products can dramatically reduce many frightening and often fatal infections. In many cases, mother's own milk is not available to sick babies, decreasing their chance of healthy development. By donating your extra breast milk, you provide these critically-ill infants with an improved chance for survival.