Adventist Medical Center Opens First Human Milk Donor Depot in Portland, Ore.World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7 PORTLAND, Ore. -- Today, in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week (Aug. 1-7), Adventist Medical Center opened the first human milk donor depot for Portland, Ore. The depot, which is only the second in the Pacific Northwest, encourages and collects human milk donations for medically fragile infants and children. Additionally, Northwest Mothers Milk Bank (NWMMB), has secured approval from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. (HMBANA HMBANA Human Milk Banking Association of North America ) to develop the first human milk bank in the northwestern United States Noun 1. northwestern United States - the northwestern region of the United States Northwest western United States, West - the region of the United States lying to the west of the Mississippi River . "A mother's own milk is almost always the best source of nourishment for her baby, yet there are some situations where it is either not possible for a mother to breastfeed breast·feed or breast-feed v. breast-fed , breast-feed·ing, breast-feeds v.tr. To feed (a baby) mother's milk from the breast; suckle. v.intr. To breastfeed a baby. or to produce enough milk for her child," explained Peggy Andrews, registered nurse and lactation consultant A lactation consultant is a healthcare provider recognized as an expert in the fields of human lactation and breastfeeding. The USLCA, United States Lactation Consultant Association, is the presiding organization in the United States of America and the International Lactation at Adventist Medical Center, as well as vice chair for NWMMB. In the case of premature and sick children, human milk is particularly critical to improving health outcomes. Adventist is proud to help increase the availability of donor milk, and we're excited to work with NWMMB to open the first regional milk bank." Human milk is widely acknowledged in the medical community as the optimal source of nutrition. It is recognized for aiding in growth, immunity, protection against infection and the healing of damaged tissue. Breast milk donations are used in the treatment of a wide variety of medical conditions, including premature birth premature birth Birth less than 37 weeks after conception. Infants born as early as 23–24 weeks may survive but many face lifelong disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness). , allergies, formula intolerance, cancer, organ transplant recovery and infectious disease Infectious disease A pathological condition spread among biological species. Infectious diseases, although varied in their effects, are always associated with viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites and aberrant proteins known as prions. . According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ), Oregon and Washington have two of the highest breastfeeding rates in the nation. Specifically, Portland, Ore., moms exceed the national average for breastfeeding initiation of 73 percent, with more than 91 percent of the metropolitan area's moms electing to breastfeed. Given such rates, the region has the potential to supply enough human milk donations to serve infants in need throughout the Northwest and other parts of the country. The NWMMB, which is in the process of raising capital, is expected to open within the next one to two years. The bank will provide local donor screening as well as pasteurization pasteurization (păs'ch  rĭzā`shən, -rīzā`shən), partial sterilization of liquids such as milk, orange juice, wine, and beer, as well as cheese, to destroy , freezing and distribution of
human milk by doctor prescription. Milk from the bank will fill
Northwest demand on a needs basis before being distributed throughout
the U.S.
Becoming a Breast Milk Donor Located in Adventist Medical Center's Family Birth Place at 10123 SE Market St., Portland, Ore., the donor depot is open Monday through Friday by appointment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Women interested in becoming milk donors are encouraged to contact Adventist Medical Center's donor depot at 503-251-MAMA, or to visit NWMMB's Web site at www.nwmmb.org. About Adventist Medical Center Adventist Medical Center (AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. ), located in southeast Portland, is a nonprofit, 302-bed acute care facility, offering a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services emergency services Emergency care '…services …necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health and, because of the danger to life or health, require the use of the most accessible hospital available and equipped to furnish those services' throughout the Portland/Vancouver metropolitan area. AMC is a member of Adventist Health, headquartered in Roseville, Calif. The organization represents regional delivery networks spanning California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Adventist Medical Center is part of Adventist Health, a not-for-profit, faith-based health system operating in California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington. Founded on the Seventh-day Adventist heritage of Christian health care, Adventist Health is comprised of 17 hospitals with more than 2,600 beds, approximately 17,500 employees, numerous clinics and outpatient facilities, the largest system of rural health clinics in California, 14 home care agencies and four joint-venture retirement centers. For more information, visit www.adventisthealthnw.com or www.adventisthealth.org. |
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