It’s not the most common donation, but human breast milk may be one of the most needed in the country.
Hospitals across Canada are in need of human breast milk for preterm babies. Mothers who have preterm babies are often not able to produce milk for their babies which could leave them at a higher risk for illness.
A local group in Kamloops, BreastFeeding Matters, is organizing an inaugural milk drive with hopes of collecting 200 pounds of human breast milk to the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank in Vancouver.
Before the drive, however, the group will host its second annual Miracle Milk Stroll on Saturday, May 14, to raise awareness of the need.
“It’s a huge need,” said Joanne Juras of BreastFeeding Matters. “Donated breast milk is for a very small population, preterm babies, but we can’t meet the need. Right now as it stands, just three hospitals get donor milk from the BC Women’s Provincial Milk Bank in Vancouver.”
There are four milk banks in Canada located in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.
According to Juras, there is a need for donated breast milk at the Royal Inland Hospital, but there is not enough donated for supplies to reach Kamloops.
Those who want to donate breast milk must go through a thorough screening process before sending their milk to the bank. Once there, the milk is pasteurized and frozen before being used at hospitals.
“It’s not a possibility with all moms, but preterm babies are at the greatest risk when they have foreign nutrition. Formula has its place, but maybe we can do a little bit better by using donor milk,” said Juras.
Juras says one of the biggest issues with donating milk is shipping the milk to a nearby milk bank. An organized shipment will allow women to send their donations without worrying about packaging and shipping fees.
“We just wanted to see what would happen. It’s going to be a trial to see what our community availability is,” said Juras.
The second annual Miracle Milk troll will begin at the Kamloops Regional Farmers Market on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, visit Breastfeeding Matters in Kamloops.
