Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Feature blog post on B.C. Women's milk bank refers to "provincial milk bank program"

Care2.com is carrying a guest blog post from James Carruthers, Director of Development, BC Women's Hospital on the donor human milk bank at B.C. Women's Hospital. Note the change in terminology - the milk bank program is now being referred to as the "Provincial Milk BAnk Program." This would be in keeping with informal remarks made at the 2012 HMBANA conference suggesting B.C. intends to expand its milk bank program province-wide.

Human Milk Banks Save Premature Babies' Lives | Care2 Causes: Human Milk Banks Save Premature Babies’ Lives
by Emily L.May 16, 20124:30 pm
NOTE: This is a guest blog post from James Carruthers, Director of Development, BC Women’s Hospital; Health Centre Foundation.
When Alison went into labor two months early, she worried about her tiny baby girl’s very survival. Adding to her worries, Alison was unable to breastfeed her daughter in the first few days of her life.
Preemies like Alison’s daughter must be fed real breast milk, donated by new moms with enough to share. Human breast milk contains the life-saving nutrition premature babies desperately need to grow strong and get better.
The Provincial Milk Bank Program at BC Women’s Hospital was a lifeline for Alison and her daughter: “My daughter was 31 weeks gestation when she was born and received donor milk in the first few days in the Newborn ICU before my milk came in. I was grateful to the women who donated and made it possible for her to get breast milk in the first few days of her life when she was so tiny and vulnerable.”... more