1511cf66_all_To_Action_on_Breastfeeding__Topic
[ID] 819 [Interest Areas] Breastfeeding Coalition Representative Community Organizer Concerned Citizen Health Care Provider Lactation Professional Nonprofit Organization Researcher [Comment] There is great opportunity to expand human milk banks in this country. I believe the greatest resistance to using banked milk is the lack of understanding of its safety. The government needs to put out a statement supporting its value and safety. Only then will the administrators and neonatologists in our Baby-Friendly certified hospital agree to purchase, store and use banked milk. I believe that in situations where babies need supplementation in the hospital, supplementing with banked human milk would greatly encourage mothers to work thru those early feeding challenges and ultimately provide their own milk. Many women give up when they see the bottles of formula appear for their babies in the hospital. The formula undermines their confidence, especially in hospitals that provide poor lactation support. I did a survey of pregnant women in our community in 2006 regarding interest in banked human milk. The majority of women (62%) replied that they would either prefer banked human milk or use banked human milk if recommended by the physician if their babies needed supplementation in the hospital. Interestingly, more than 70% of all women surveyed answered that they would be willing to donate some of their milk. The greatest concern among the pregnant women surveyed was safety of the milk. This is the same concern that I have heard from physicians and administrators in our hospital. Now is the time to move forward with this relatively untapped resource by providing funds for more research and a government statement about safety [Topic] 
Use of Banked Human Milk
Call To Action on Breastfeeding
Topic