Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast follows strict standards established by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration, the New York State Department of Health, and the blood and tissue banking industries.
Milk donors are healthy, lactating women with surplus milk. They are never paid. They give their milk for purely altruistic reasons. This eliminates the incentive to provide anything except accurate and honest information.
Disqualifying conditions include:
Some medications are acceptable for use while others require a deferral period. This allows time for the drug to clear from the body. Medication standards are reviewed and updated in accordance with new guidance. Generally accepted medications include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and seasonal flu shots.
Donor milk arrives frozen. It is carefully recorded and stored. Milk from multiple donors is thawed in a refrigerator overnight, pooled, and mixed to ensure an even distribution of nutrients. It is then poured into bottles by our qualified lab technicians.
Trays of milk bottles are heated in a shaking water bath using the Holder Method of pasteurization. This eliminates bacteria while retaining most of the beneficial components. Pasteurized milk is quickly cooled and frozen again.
Post-pasteurization: One bottle from each tray is sent to an independent lab. They test for bacteria growth after the heating process. Only approved milk is dispensed.
Each bottle is labeled with an expiration date one year after the earliest pump date in the batch. Milk is shipped overnight in coolers with dry ice. It arrives frozen the next day.
Ensuring that our milk is safe for the most vulnerable infants, these screening and safety steps are crucial. Thank you for understanding and generously supporting little lives.
Safe. Trusted. Lifesaving.
From NPR to The Boston Globe, click through to learn more about Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast and the importance of donor milk.
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Donor human milk can be lifesaving for fragile infants. Interested in becoming a milk donor? Learn more about our simple process today.
When mom’s own milk is not available, our safe donor human milk is superior to any substitute. Learn more about donor milk and how to obtain it for your baby.
As a tiny but mighty nonprofit, Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast is powered by you and your belief that all babies deserve a chance to grow and thrive. To help us help them please consider making a gift today.
