Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

Paturizing Process of the Breast Milk

Bottles of donated breast milk

I hope you all had the chance to read the post on July 14th from Dr Lynch about the benefits of breastfeeding. Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth is committed to the promotion and support of breastfeeding for our newest little Texans. One way we accomplish this is using donor human breast milk in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Prematurity is the most common diagnosis of infants receiving this precious gift. Human milk banking is not a new concept; actually, the first milk bank began in 1910 in Boston, under Harvard-trained physician, Fritz Bradley Talbot.

Healthy lactating mothers that have undergone extensive testing donate their milk to the milk bank. The milk bank collects, tests and pasteurizes the milk. In addition, the milk undergoes nutritional analysis for fat, protein and caloric content. The Human Milk Banking Association of North America provides guidelines to keep the process safe. In 2007, Human Milk Banks in North America distributed over 1 Million ounces of donor milk. We are so lucky to have the a local milk bank here in Fort Worth to supply our needs of 100 bottles of donor human milk each week.

So, I ask you...Did you know that you can donate? I encourage each one of you to look into donating breast milk and share the gift of health with new infants if you are able.

- Becky Law

Photo credit: Mother's Milk Bank