JACKSON, Miss.- Did you know that you could donate breast milk to help sick babies?
The Mother’s Milk Bank of Mississippi collects donated human breast milk to give to premature or ill infants.
The bank was established in 2010 with a goal of collecting, pasteurizing, and dispensing human milk to tiny babies after a physician has prescribed it. They try to help save these premature babies by providing a vital source of nutrition for them.
“Our mission is to provide donor milk to medically needy babies of Mississippi whose mothers can’t provide their own,” said Dr. Becky Sands, President of the Board of Directors for Mother’s Milk Bank of Mississippi. “Usually it’s the premature babies in the neonatal and intensive care units.”
Sands said that mothers who are still producing milk and want to donate are screened with medical tests, an interview, and consideration of their medical history is taken. It is very much like blood donation screening. The milk is then collected and pasteurized because doctors require those babies to have a certain type of milk to get well.
Giving is easy, just visit their website to be screened as a donor. Mother’s Milk Bank only accepts donations of at least 100 ounces of milk. There is also a way to contribute to the cause by donating financially, that option is also available on the site.
