Research continues to show that human breast milk provides important and long-lasting health benefits to babies, yet some parents who wish to provide their babies with breast milk may face challenges.
To assist them, Inspira Health is expanding its donor human breast milk program at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill, through an agreement with the non-profit Mid-Atlantic Mother’s Milk Bank of Pennsylvania. The expanded program now makes donor milk available to healthy babies whose parents want to exclusively feed their infants breast milk. Previously, donor breast milk was only available to pre-term and critically ill babies.
Since expanding the program in June of this year, Inspira Health has provided donor breast milk to 10 healthy babies, and lactation support services to their parents. The donor milk is pasteurized and screened to ensure safety; breast milk sold online may not undergo these safety steps. According to the National Institutes of Health, pasteurized donor milk offers nutritional and immunologic benefits that reduce complications in preterm, low birthweight, and critically ill infants.
Tori Staub, R.N., a nurse in the intermediate care nursery at Inspira Mullica Hill, can attest to the donor milk program’s vital role. It was after giving birth to her second child earlier this year that she and her newborn son benefitted from the program.
“Breastfeeding has been a crucial part of my approach to infant nutrition and bonding,” said Staub. “With my first son, we encountered gastrointestinal issues, and breastfeeding proved to be very effective in managing his sensitivities. Naturally, I wanted to extend the same benefits to my second son.”
But as Staub explains, her breastmilk did not come in immediately after giving birth to her second son. His feedings were supplemented with donor milk.
“Truly, our questions about safety were answered thoroughly by the outstanding lactation consultants [Debbie Frye, B.S.N., R.N., IBCLC, and Susan Thomas, M.S.N., R.N., IBCLC] on staff, my pediatricians and other hospital staff who provided me and my family with amazing guidance in this decision to use pasteurized donor human milk.”
“Our inclusion of pasteurized donor human milk underscores our commitment to supporting New Jersey parents’ choice to exclusively breastfeed and offer a healthier alternative to formula supplementation when a mother’s own milk is unavailable,” said Donna Volpe, DNP, director of Nursing for Maternal Child Health Services at Inspira Mullica Hill. “
By addressing this gap in breastfeeding support and access to donor milk, Inspira Health, in collaboration with Mid-Atlantic Mother’s Milk Bank, is poised to make a significant impact on infant health outcomes and support for new families in southern New Jersey.”
