Need some info quick, quick, quick, please!

[Artichokie]

On another (not parenting related) board I frequent, a mother is asking about donating her breastmilk to premmies at the hospital. Someone responded that it was gross and someone else pointed out that the milk is pasturized. Then someone chimed in that pasturization kills all the antibodies and destroys the nutrients, so it negates the point of using breastmilk in nicu.

Can someone please give me some quick info on how to respond?

Thank you!

[zinemama]

Uh, call the hospital and ask what their policy is?

[Artichokie]

Originally Posted by zinemama

Uh, call the hospital and ask what their policy is?

the milk is pasturized, i beleive. so does that make the use of breastmilk pointless?

[Equuskia]

No, because even if it is pasturized, it is still easier to digest than formula because it is species specific.

[Meredith&Alexander]

Try HMBANA's website:

http://www.hmbana.org/index.php?mode=home

They've got links to the research that demonstrates the results of feeding pasteurized donor milk vs. formula. Basically, it seems that while pasteurized donor milk doesn't have all the benefits of fresh human milk, it doesn't cause the problems that formula does. And frequently, donor milk is used to supplement mom's milk- frequently moms of tiny preemies aren't making enough immediately, so they use donor milk for the rest of what they need.

[Smokering]

Formula is dairy- or soy-based, so contains allergens that shouldn't be going anywhere near the mouths (well, the guts) of newborns, much less preemies. What breastmilk don't got in it is important, even if what it do got is destroyed to some extent by pasteurisation.

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by MoreThanApplesauce

the milk is pasturized, i beleive. so does that make the use of breastmilk pointless?

Not at all. Premature babies not getting breastmilk are much more likely to get NEC. Some of those studies were done with babies getting donated breastmilk - so the pasteurizing process can't take all the 'good' out of it!

[Artichokie]

Thank you to everyone who responded. I'll go spread the information.

[mommy2maya]

I'm pretty sure that it is not moms donating directly to nicus. I'm pretty sure that you have to donate to a milk bank, and then preemies can get a script for milk from the bank.