Last week’s blog, “What Does Pasteurized Human Donor Milk Cost?” started some great dialog on our Facebook page. We always welcome your questions and the opportunity to share more about what we do for premature and sick babies. Over the next week, don't miss our 3-part blog series:
Part I – Breastmilk & Bacteria
Part II – Why We Pasteurize
Part III –Milk & Money
Part I – Breastmilk & Bacteria Bacteria Benefits Healthy Babies - Milk straight from the breast is not pasteurized and naturally contains many bacteria. It is important to know that bacteria are rarely harmful to a mother’s own healthy-term newborn or even a mother’s fragile baby in the NICU. In fact, bacteria is beneficial in most circumstances. A mother and her nursing baby create a “closed-loop system” in which antibodies in her milk protect her baby from harmful organisms in her baby’s environment. 
Eliminating Bacteria Ensures Safety for Preemies and Sick Infants - At Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, we serve the tiniest, sickest preemies in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), most with severely compromised immune systems. Unpasteurized milk donated from another mother can potentially have organisms that these babies can’t tolerate. Therefore, donor milk is safely pasteurized to destroy these bacteria. 
Pasteurized Donor Milk Saves Little Lives - Of course, a mother’s milk is BEST for her own baby. Unfortunately, many mothers of preemies are unable to establish a milk supply in time for the important early feedings to begin. Donor human milk should never be used to replace a mother’s own milk, but it can be lifesaving when a mother’s own milk is not available. While EVERY baby can benefit from human milk, it is important to appropriate donor milk where it can do the most good for the most babies. At Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, we are so very grateful to the donor mothers willing to share their milk with these precious babies that have so much to lose without it. For more information about Mothers' Milk Bank of North Texas or milk donation, visit our website.