Penn Highlands DuBois Supplies Donor Breast Milk to Give Babies a Healthier Start
Many newborns in the Maternal and Child Center at Penn Highlands DuBois are breastfed; however, you may be surprised to learn that not all of the breast milk they receive is from their own mothers. Tucked away in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a freezer filled with breast milk that is supplied from a donor bank.
According to Suzanne J. McCullough, RN, NIC, Director of the NICU and Apnea-Reflux/Developmental Clinic at Penn Highlands DuBois, there are many reasons a newborn may require donor breast milk in the hospital or as bridge milk after they are discharged.
“Some moms cannot produce breast milk while others may not produce enough to nourish their babies,” she explained. “For babies who were substance exposed before birth, the donor milk helps decrease GI issues. Other reasons donor milk is used include surrogacy, adoption and prematurity.”
Penn Highlands DuBois has been providing donor milk to mothers since 2019. The hospital keeps a supply of approximately 400 ounces of donor breast milk on site to feed the babies in the NICU and well-baby nursery as well as for bridge milk to be sent home when needed. Penn Highlands DuBois provides up to 14 bottles containing 100 ml. of donor bridge milk to these babies. Bridge milk is donor milk sent home with the mother to help supplement her milk supply until her milk is completely in.
“We were one of the first hospitals to have donor breast milk supplied from the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank in Pittsburgh. To date, we have provided more than 300 gallons of breast milk including bridge milk,” said Mrs. McCullough.
She continued, “The demand for donor milk has doubled since we introduced the program five years ago,” Since starting the program, the number of babies receiving donor milk in our NICU jumped from 40% to 79%.”
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania passed Owen’s Law expanding the health conditions eligible for Medicaid coverage of donated pasteurized human breast milk for infants with serious medical issues. Soon after Owen’s Law was passed, Penn Highlands DuBois was able to help a mother and baby receive donor milk for up to 12 months of age.
It is important to note that Penn Highlands DuBois cannot accept donor milk directly from mothers; they can donate their breast milk to the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank.
Mrs. McCullough said that people sometimes ask, “What makes a mom want to donate their milk?” “There are many reasons. They may have an overabundance of supply. Their baby may have stopped nursing early. They may have a large quantity of milk stored in their freezer. Or, a mother may have lost a baby later in her pregnancy and it may bring her comfort to donate the milk.”
Mothers experiencing difficulty breastfeeding should not be discouraged. Breastfeeding is a skill and it takes a little time to develop. Penn Highlands Healthcare offers lactation support to all mothers. Pre-hospital breastfeeding lactation support and instruction are offered along with prenatal classes at Penn Highlands DuBois. After the baby is born, lactation counselors working in the Maternal and Child Center are available to help the new mothers. Upon discharge, mothers can call the staff with their breastfeeding questions or concerns. Outpatient lactation support is available in Penn Highlands Life’s Journey OB/GYN offices.
To learn more about breastfeeding support and education, visit www.phhealthcare.org/breastfeeding.