Donor Human Milk Resources
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"The availability of donor milk is a strong statement of support for breastfeeding and the importance of human milk by a health care system."
-- Human Milk Banking Association of North America
Established 1985
Human milk banks were formed to provide this needed milk safely to premature infants and other infants, children and adults with special needs. Human milk is processed according to guidelines established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) written in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Donors are healthy nursing moms who meet strict standards, including:
- Excellent health
- No current medication
- Milk in excess of her own baby's needs
- No detection of HIV-1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C
- HTLV-1 and 2, and syphilis through blood tests
- Negative TB skin test
- Following explicit instructions in the hygienic
- collection and handling of milk
All milk is pasteurized to kill both CMV and HIV, while preserving the unique immune properties. A postpasteurization bacterial culture is performed and must comply with standards of no growth.
Donated milk is available with a doctor's prescription only. For that reason, the processing fee charged to recipients may be covered by insurance. Financial aid may be available for families who qualify.
No child with a demonstrated medical need is denied milk because of inability to pay the processing fees.
To order banked human milk for patients or to become a human milk donor, contact:
