NPR News, Classical and Music of the Delta
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

New Orleans Now Home To Mother's Milk Bank

Sander van der Wel / Flickr.com
/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Oschner Baptist in New Orleans is now home to Mother’s Milk Bank, the state’s first ever such facility. The bank allows mothers to donate milk that will be used to help premature babies grow through a turbulent first period of their life. Neonatal Intensive Care Director Harley Ginsberg says premature babies especially need the vital nutrients that you just can’t find in formula.

 

Ginsberg says, "...human milk  has been best for babies. Commercial formula is not the best medicine for the baby."

 

The process for opening the facility took three and a half years to complete.

 

Just because the milk bank is located in New Orleans, doesn’t mean it won’t benefit the rest of the state. Ginsberg says the milk is collected, pasteurized, and stored until it’s needed.

 

Ginsberg says that the bank will supply "frozen milk" to babies if doctors think that it will benefit patients. 

 

Ginsberg says donors will be questioned, much like blood donors, to make sure only clean, healthy milk makes it into the storage. Once you’re clear, he says the process should take about 12 minutes to complete.

 

The Mother’s Milk Bank is a non-for-profit initiative.