Mass. Hospital Becomes Breast Milk Depot

BOSTON (CBS) – Years ago, wet nurses were commonplace, but in modern times, the idea of giving a baby another mother’s breast milk hasn’t been very popular. But breast milk donation is beginning to catch on. And one local hospital has become a breast milk depot servicing the greater Boston area. Anna Schaefer donates her breast milk to a milk bank in Newton. Her 2-month old son, Josiah, was born premature, and wasn’t able to consume all of the milk that she produced. “I had all this extra milk I knew he wouldn’t use,” Anna told WBZ-TV. “So I knew there were little babies who could use it.” Donated breast milk is ideal for premature babies or full-term babies or mothers who have medical conditions that prevent them from being able to nurse early on. (WBZ-TV) Dr. Brigid McCue is an obstetrician and the medical director of the Birth Center at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth. The hospital just became the first milk depot in southeastern Massachusetts. Dr. McCue says premature babies, especially, are healthier if they can have human breast milk. “This is almost a bridge for them to get human milk,” says Dr. McCue. “That’s going to reduce infection for them, reduce complications in their GI tract and get them healthier faster.” Naomi Bar-Yam is the Executive Director of the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, where donated breast milk is screened, pasteurized, and stored. Bar-Yum says there are two issues that make...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Local News Seen On WBZ-TV Syndicated Local Watch Listen Breast Milk Breast Milk Bank CBS Boston Dr. Brigid McCue Dr. Mallika Marshall Source Type: news