INDIANAPOLIS — Similar to blood banks, milk banks are hurting for donations amid the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing guidelines.
The Milk Bank in Indianapolis provides pasteurized donor human milk. Its highest priority are premature and ill infants in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Right now is particularly a difficult time for vulnerable families at The Milk Bank is struggling to get enough donated breastmilk to serve its healthcare partners in need of the supply.
"As far as we know at this time, it is completely heat inactivated," said Fredom Kolb, executive director of The Milk Bank. "Our pasteurization process is safe, the donation process is safe and that is really important. And we really want to continue to protect the milk supply because just like every type of tissue donation, it is really life-saving. And for those infants without access and with critical medical needs the donor milk is not just nutrition it is actually medicine."
Healthy mothers are encouraged to donate to The Milk Bank.
The Milk Bank can ship the materials and supplies if donor mothers are unable to bring milk to a depot.
For more information to become a donor and to learn more about The Milk Bank, click here.
You can read The Milk Bank's statement on the COVID-19 pandemic here.
