Milk banks seek more donors for babies in need

ATHENS, Ohio — With her baby fast asleep in the stroller, Valerie Githinji made her way up to the nurses’ station in O’Bleness Memorial Hospital’s maternity ward.

She came bearing gifts. Stored in the bottom of the stroller, in a white plastic bag, were several containers totaling 200 ounces — more than a gallon and a half — of frozen breast milk.

Githinji, who works in student affairs at Hocking College, has been donating her extra breast milk for about four months.

“Every time I feed (my daughter), I tell her, `We’re feeding you and the world,”’ she said, with a laugh.

This drop-off brought her total donation to nearly 8 gallons, but this trip was made specially in response to a call put out by the Human Milk Banking Association, which sets standards for milk banks in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. The organization has been asking mothers to give whatever they can to help meet an increased demand for donated breast milk.

Part of the demand comes from hospitals. More neonatal intensive-care units are keeping inventories of human donor milk, and most breast milk donated to the Human Milk Banking Association goes to premature babies.

Several banks recently had such low supplies they’ve had to turn away people seeking milk for their infants, said Jean Drulis, director of the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa and president of the milk banking association. Some banks are sharing their supply temporarily to fulfill requests.

“As the word spreads about the availability, so will awareness about the demand,” Drulis said. “We know there are more donors.” The organization is also encouraging new mothers to start donating.

Last year, the association’s 10 banks dispensed more than 1.8 million ounces, up from 400,000 ounces 10 years ago.

Another factor in increased demand is more awareness among parents. Some parents are offered the milk when supplementation is needed, while others are starting to request it. A baby might need supplementation because of allergies, formula intolerance or immunological deficiencies. When available, banks will offer donor milk to healthy babies who aren’t able to get their own mother’s milk. That was the case for Molly Jamieson, of Iowa City, Iowa, who got a prescription for donated milk when she wasn