Does anyone know about Prolacta and milk donation?

[pelene]

They are more accommodating and easier to deal with than the milk bank I went with last time, but I did some reading and it seems they are a for profit corporation with some strange intentions.  Can anyone tell me more?

Edited by pelene - 7/3/12 at 12:24am

[AdinaL]

Hmm...This is interesting.  I don't know much about them. What gave you the evil impression?

[hhmb]

Hi Pelene,

I'm glad to hear our milk banks were more accommodating and easier to work with. Yes, we are a for-profit corporation that also operates milk banks. We are different than other organizations, because we process the donated breast milk into a human milk fortifier made from 100% donated breast milk, which provides much-needed nutrition to very ill, premature babies. (It's super concentrated human milk, dense in the nutrition low birth weight babies need). Unfortunately, without our fortifier available to preemies in the hospital, the only option for them is to be fed fortifier made from cow's milk.

We are happy to answer any questions you should have for us, and we appreciate your generosity in donating your breast milk -  to whichever organization you choose. 

All the best to you and your baby!

Ashley @Prolacta

[pelene]

I have heard that Prolacta sells their product for $185 an ounce whereas milk banks are about $3 an ounce, also milk banks are more accommdating of people in poverty whereas Prolacta's product is not offered for a reduced price to people who cannot afford it.  This concerned me.  I know the use of technology is expensive, but I was shocked at what I presume to be quite a proft margin in $185 an ounce for a donated product.

[hhmb]

There have been some misunderstandings in the past as to what our products are and how they differ from standard donor milk from a milk bank. Someone asked how much we charge for our fortifier, which is concentrated breast milk (approximately 10 times that of mother’s own milk) per ml, and they converted it into what we would charge per ounce. The fortifier is not sold per ounce but is only sold in small quantities (per milliliter) because it is actually added to mom’s milk (or donor milk). It is by no means a breast milk replacement. Think of it more as a protein supplement for someone who is trying to gain more muscle. Doctors don't want to add more volume, just more calories and protein. Our fortifier is prescribed by neonatologists in the hospital for very fragile premature infants who are fighting for their lives. We would never sell it to someone out of the hospital setting, since it is only administered under a physician's care. We also don't bill parents for our products, as the cost is typically covered by insurance or by the hospital. I hope this helps provides clarity between what other milk banks use donated milk for versus us. We are glad that you are exploring all of your options before donating as that is a very precious gift that only some mothers can provide. If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

Kind Regards,

Ashley @Prolacta