What is HMBANA?

If you’re familiar with Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, you may hear us talk about “HmmmBANA” from time to time. No, we aren’t trying to hum. It’s actually an everyday acronym for our staff, but what does it mean?

HMBANA is a friendly abbreviation for our professional association, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. Its mission is to advance the field of nonprofit milk banking through member accreditation, development of evidence-based practices and advocacy of breastfeeding and human lactation to ensure an ethically sourced and equitably distributed supply of donor human milk.

There are 29 member milk banks, all nonprofits across the United States and Canada who strive to improve the lives of fragile infants through the provision of safe, pasteurized donor human milk. In addition to these 28 organizations, there are five more milk banks in development.

Member milk banks follow strict screening, processing and dispensing guidelines in order to ensure safety for the babies they serve. Each organization also undergoes an annual accreditation to assess compliance with these guidelines.

Additionally, HMBANA fosters networking and professional development through two biennial events. The International Congress brings together human milk experts, researchers and milk banking professionals from around the globe, while the Symposium is a conference specifically designed for HMBANA milk bank staff.