Born too Soon
Posted by Tiziana on October 26, 2011Do you know a baby who was born too soon, too small, and/or unable to nurse?
It is very likely that you do, given that 1 in every 8 babies is born prematurely. The causes vary and overall, they are still unclear. There are some preventive measures, but while science figures this one out, the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin is supplying hospitals around the country with milk to give these premature little people half a chance.
Human milk is the only ingredient that will allow these little babies to optimally develop key functions of organs such as liver, pancreas, kidneys, bladder, as well as their brains (higher IQ with human milk feedings), and eye sight. As little as 2 ounces of milk can provide 6 meals for a preemie, 250 ounces of milk will provide 750 meals for a preemie.
In my interview with Executive Director Kim Updegrove, I was touched and overwhelmed by these alarming statistics. I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the sophisticated equipment and impressed by level of commitment and involvement her team has with the well being of the babies.
Mrs. Updegrove is a midwife and, as such, very soft spoken. She is knowledgeable about science yet in touch with the natural approach to birthing. Her eyes water up when she shared with me a story about a little baby that at only 16 weeks of conception showed under -developed kidneys and no bladder. The mother agreed to have surgery and she was able to go full term. Once born it took a while for the mother’s milk to come in and 6 months later her supply dried up. The baby could only have human milk as the sustenance to develop the strength to cope with the surgery. Thanks to the milk donors and his mother’s milk, he has now reached 20 lb and is ready to have a kidney donor.
In another case, the mother delivered the baby at 24 weeks and the baby needed to be fed within the first 24 hours. The baby was able to take donor milk until 3 weeks later when the mother’s milk came in. The combination of donor & mother’s milk kept him well and alive until the mom was able to fully nourish her baby. The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin works very closely with the hospital and continues to do so even after mother and child are released in case they are still in need of donor’s milk. Mrs. Updegrove works directly with each individual pediatrician to ensure that the milk provided is the perfect balance of nutritional values of protein and fat that is needed for the baby to grow.
More than half million babies in the United States are born too soon, too small and very sick, and the number is increasing. The Mother’s Milk Bank has seen that number resulting in a 40% increased milk demand from hospitals, and a growing need to fill this scarcity. Eight (8) Million ounces are needed in the US today to care for only the tiniest of these babies, but only 1.8M ounces are available from the nonprofit milk banks, which means that 75% of preemies must use formula, thereby considerably diminishing their rate of survival and chances for a healthy life.
Here are 3 steps that you can take to help the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin in feeding premature babies, besides donating milk:
- Mention it to new moms that are lactating
- Share with a pregnant women the existence of the Mother’s Milk Bank
- Let a young women know they will one day become moms
“Our generation depends on next generation’s ability to be healthy and contributing members of society – we must feed them right”. Mrs. Updegrove
For more information please visit the Mother’s Milk Bank at Austin website. The Mothers’ Milk Bank at Austin is a nonprofit and one of 8 Milk Banks around the country.
