Mothers of pre-term and sick infants who are unable to breastfeed but still want their children to enjoy the benefits of breast milk will be able to do so thanks to an initiative at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.

This month, the medical center became the country’s first hospital-based human milk bank affiliated with Prolacta Bioscience, a company that develops and provides improved methods for large-scale testing and processing of human breast milk. Based on a model similar to blood banking, the medical center will collect and store milk for eventual processing into products that will improve the care of pre-term and sick infants around the country.

The initiative came out of a task force of medical staff, nurses, administrators and others formed to develop a model for lactation support services at the medical center.

The group’s discussion included ways to generate revenue to support lactation services, including reimbursement opportunities. The medical center’s fee for collecting and storing the milk for Prolacta will help fund our lactation services. The medical center will receive the fee from Prolacta to cover its expenses for collecting and shipping the milk. Donor women pay no fee and receive all needed equipment, including a free breast pump.

"The value of donor breast milk has increased with the growing body of evidence to support its use for a variety of patients," says Lora Harding Dundek, manager of Birth and Family Education and Support Services at The Birthplace. "By partnering with Prolacta, we can help make a superior human milk product available for infants across the country whose mothers cannot breastfeed for a variety of reasons."

"It is exciting for us to be involved with this project," says Pamela Heggie, MD, medical director of the milk bank and physician at Fairview Children’s Clinic. "Through this partnership, we will be promoting the benefits of breast milk as we find creative ways to fund comprehensive lactation services at the medical center. We will also have the opportunity to participate in innovative research regarding the use of this product for premature infants."

Prolacta Bioscience, headquartered in Monrovia, Calif., tests the milk to ensure it meets quality and safety standards. Prolacta is devoted to ensuring that any qualified woman can donate milk, regardless of her location, through a network of milk banks in communities across the country.

For more information, call the milk bank at 612-672-4122, or visit www.prolacta.com.