This is a letter of support for the development of regulated donor human milk banking in Canterbury within the Christchurch Women’s Hospital Neonatal Services.

The people who have signed this letter all support the development of donor milk banking at Christchurch Women’s Hospital Neonatal Services.

These signatures are from parents, mothers who have used donor milk for their babies, mothers who have donated their breast milk, mothers who requested donor milk but found there was no service available and parents who would choose donor milk over infant formula if given the choice.

The letter has also been signed by midwives, La Leche League leaders and mothers, health workers and supportive people from consumer organisations.

We would like to sincerely thank the neonatologists and staff of Neonatal Services who have started this work towards the development of a donor milk bank.

                                                                    Thank you

Signatures:

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Donor human milk banking in Canterbury

The people who have signed the attached letter/s support the use of donor breast milk for babies, particularly for unwell full term or preterm babies. They would also like to see donor milk presented as an option, dependent on availability, for mothers who have delayed or reduced lactation for whatever reason, including caesarean births. This will protect the early exclusivity of breastfeeding and by doing so have a positive impact on breastfeeding duration.

Many of the signatories have been involved in some way with either utilising a donor milk opportunity from a screened donor for their own babies, donating breast milk for other mothers’ babies, wishing they had been given the option of using donor milk for their babies and/or supporting mothers’ and parents informed decisions to use donor milk.

The signatories recognize the benefits of avoiding infant formula products whenever possible. This is not to say that infant formula does not have a use in some situations, but as outlined by the World Health Organisation, infant formula products are at the bottom of the hierarchy of feeding choices for low birth weight babies in particular.

 The WHO hierarchy of feeding choices for LBW babies – best to worse                                                         

•          Mother’s own fresh breast milk

•          Donated fresh preterm milk

•          Donated fresh mature milk

•          Pasteurised donated breast milk

•          Preterm infant formula

•          Ordinary formula

The World Health Assembly unanimously endorsed the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding in 2002 and this strategy recommends donor milk as an option if an infant cannot be breastfed and/or mother’s own milk is unavailable.

New Zealand, along with the rest of the Western industrialized world, is already noting the human and economic costs of rising rates of diabetes, heart disease, obesity and chronic gut disorders such as Crohns Disease. All of these conditions are associated with not being breastfed and being exposed therefore to infant formula products.  As Kent [2004] states, “Infant formula does not meet all of infants’ needs, as demonstrated by the fact that it consistently produces worse health outcomes than breastfeeding” (The inadequacy of infant formula safety standards). 

Although we are not suggesting that a donor milk bank will solve every health issue we feel that for those babies fortunate enough to be given the gift of donor breast milk this will enhance their start in life and be a significant contributor to robust preventative medicine.

Acknowledging that donor milk is the next best option after mother’s own milk and having this endorsed by neonatologists, paediatricians and other child health workers  is a significant statement in support of breastfeeding and breast milk.