According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, breast milk is widely acknowledged as the most complete form of nutrition for infants, with a range of benefits for infants’ health, growth, immunity and development. In 2014, 74.1 percent of Indiana moms reported breastfeeding their own children. However, Indiana moms are not only making an impact on their own babies’ lives by breastfeeding, but they are also supporting babies all over the Midwest who might not have access to breast milk through donation.
The Milk Bank, an Indianapolis nonprofit organization, was established 10 years ago as the Indiana Mothers’ Milk Bank to improve health outcomes for premature and ill infants, foster better health for children and decrease health care expenditures. They are the first and only donor human milk bank in Indiana, and they operate by receiving human milk from carefully screened donors, pasteurizing, freezing and distributing it throughout the United States. They also became the first milk bank to partner with a blood bank through their 2014 partnership with the Indiana Blood Center. With 45 drop off locations throughout the Midwest, The Milk Bank has received milk donations from 30 states and supplied donor milk to over 100 hospitals in 28 states.
“The milk donations we receive are delivered to hospitals throughout the Midwest to provide life-saving nourishment to newborns who are critically ill in Neonatal Intensive Care Units,” said Carissa Hawkins, communication coordinator at The Milk Bank. “In ten years we have dispensed well over 1 million ounces thanks to the help of 3,000 milk donors.”
“We have grown so much over the last few years it is time for more space,” said Janice Sneider O’Rourke, The Milk Bank executive director. “Our new office and production site has tripled in size, allowing us more space to process, ship and receive more donor milk. More space means we can keep up with the growing demand of breast milk, which ultimately allows us to save even more babies.”
To celebrate their accomplishments, The Milk Bank is hosting a birthday party, August 8 11 a.m.-3 p.m., at their new location, 5060 E. 62nd St., Suite 128. The public is welcome.
