“Growing evidence supports the role of donated human milk in
assisting infants with special needs, such as infants in newborn
intensive care units who are unable to receive their own
mothers’ milk, to achieve the best possible health outcome.” –
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding
What is Milk Banking? Similar to blood banking, milk banking is
the acceptance, pasteurization and dispensing of human milk
donated from mothers who under go a multi-step screening
process. Donor milk banks follow strict screening, processing,
and testing guidelines to ensure that banked human milk is safe.
Donor milk is often provided and prescribed for premature or
sick babies who are more at risk for infections if they receive
formula, instead of human milk. To learn more about how milk
banking works, click here. For a detailed history of milk
banking from HMBANA, click here. Supporting Milk Banking:
Released on January 20, 2011 by U.S. Surgeon General Regina M.
Benjamin. Action 12 of the Call to Action