Colorado Milk Bank "Running on Empty." Can you help?

The Mother's Milk Bank of Denver at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center is desperate need of breastmilk donations.  Milk bank director Laraine Lockhart Borman says the agency's freezers are bare.

Mothers who are in good health, don't smoke or take medication and have babies younger than 6 months old are needed to donate milk to the milk bank.  Information on donation is on milk bank's website, or you can call the milk bank at (303) 869-1888.

Milk banks provide breastmilk to hospitals where it is used to help save the lives of premature and seriously ill infants like the baby described below.  CBS4 in Denver reported (video):

Julia Lam is a beautiful, happy baby, but the six-month-old is also very sick. She's undergoing aggressive chemotherapy to combat an unusual form of lymphoma.

"This is without a question a life threatening disease process for her," said Dr. Lorrie Odom, a Pediatric Oncologist.

Lam has to wait to eat until medical tests are finished, and when she gets hungry for milk, it will be breast milk, for its nutrition and antibodies.

"To give her the best chance to tolerate the chemotherapy and its side effects," said Dr. Odom.

Lam's mother's milk supply dwindled when she got sick, so now her human breast milk is donated.

It comes from the Mother's Milk Bank, but their supply is also running low.

Demand is up at the milk bank. They gave out 14,000 ounces last month, but donations have remained steady at 10,000 ounces, so the freezer is now nearly empty.

"We hold our breath when the phone rings because we know it's probably going to be a recipient asking for milk and we're wondering are we going to be able to supply this baby," said Laraine Lockhart Borman, with the Mother's Milk Bank.

Human milk can be lifesaving for some children, without it they may end up hospitalized and sicker than they already are.

Why the shortage?  Maybe it has something to do with the rapid increase in demand for breastmilk.  The Human Milk Banking Association of North America reports that among their 11 member milk banks there has been a 45% increase in breastmilk dispensed between 2000 and 2005.  For a list of milk banks in the U.S. and Canada, click here.

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Comments

[Gina]

Hi Tanya,
I was just wondering why your baby needs to be younger than 6 months old to donate milk?
Gina

[oivey ivey!]

Gina - Each HMBANA milk bank has different requirements on age of baby. Our milk bank, in Texas, asks that baby be 12 months and younger. If you want to donate to Denver, give them a call to find out. Most websites will list the requirements as well and you can find each milk bank website by visiting the HMBANA site.

Tanya - Thanks for posting this information on Devner and HMBANA. Spreading the word about milk banking is so important!

Megan
Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin
www.milkbank.org

[Tanya Lieberman]

Hi Gina,

I sent your question to the Denver milk bank, and will post what I learn.

Tanya

[Tanya Lieberman]

Gina,

Here's the answer from the Denver Milk Bank:

"Yes, we like moms to start [donating before their babies are 6 months old] because of the changes in milk composition over the time they are lactating, and we feed mostly newborns and preterm infants. Also, we find that the donors are more successful when their baby is younger; it is easier for them to pump extra milk."

As Megan from the Austin Milk Bank points out, there are banks that take milk from mothers of "older" babies.

- Tanya

[Tanya Lieberman]

(sent by email)

I have no idea whether having more children is in my future or not, but if so, I absolutely want to become a breast milk donor!

-Beth