Milk bank opens at CHOP

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recently opened the first human milk bank of its kind in the Philadelphia region. The Children's Mothers' Milk Bank (MMB) will provide donor human milk to hospitalized infants at hospital's main campus.

The MMB was developed in cooperation with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), a professional organization that sets the standards and guidelines for nonprofit donor milk banking in North America.

Previously, the donor milk used at Children's was purchased from another HMBANA milk bank. Annually, the mothers of patients at Children's donate on average of 22,000 ounces of milk to HMBANA milk banks.

At Children's, pasteurized donor human milk for a variety of conditions including prematurity, allergies, feeding intolerance, immunologic deficiencies, post-operative nutrition, treatment of some infectious diseases, and treatment of certain inborn errors of metabolism.

We spoke with Diane Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FANN, a nurse researcher and director of the lactation program at Children's, about the new milk bank and the importance of human milk in medical care.

Why is important to have a milk bank on site at the hospital?

In the case of a baby in intensive care, human milk can be a matter of life and death. Human milk is a lifesaving intervention. For the mother, it's easier for her to be able to process her milk here. Donors must complete a medical history and lifestyle questionnaire and obtain the approval of their healthcare provider prior to donating milk, as well as have a blood test completed to screen for diseases. Bringing it all in house allows it the process to be done more effectively

Who can currently donate to the milk bank?

Right now, we are accepting internal donations from mothers who have extra milk. Later this year, we will begin accepting donations from our employees. At some point, we hope to serve the whole community to come in as donors, and provide donor milk to other hospitals in the area.

Why is human milk is so important?

Any baby who is born preterm or with any health complications needs human milk. There are substances in human milk that cannot be found in formula. For example, babies who are born preterm or have congenital heart defects are risk for Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC). Human milk reduces the risk of NEC by 77 percent.

Babies in intensive care start on IV nutrition and are gradually transitioned to "enteral feeds", i.e. food in the stomach.  Infants who are fed human milk only achieve full enteral feeds quicker and have less feeding intolerance.

The last reason human milk is so important is to protect the baby's brain since they're at risk for having poor neurological outcomes. It helps them do better from a neurodevelopment standpoint – the milk provides a protective effect for the brain and brain power.

What advice do you generally offer moms struggling with breast feeding?

The first two weeks after the baby is born is the most important time for breastfeeding. I tell moms to eat, sleep, and breastfeed their babies during this time. It will set her up for having a good milk supply. For babies who are sick, we tell moms to pump, eat, and rest.

The first two weeks are so critical and mothers should dedicate their whole focus on themselves, their babies, and breastfeeding. If moms run into a problems, they can seek out help from a support group or lactation specialist. They don't have to do it on their own.

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