by Adam Spangler
January 25, 2010

Haiti needs a lot of things right now. But for some, nothing is more important or more needed than human milk.

The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), International Lactation Consultant Association/United States Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA/USLCA), and La Leche League International (LLLI) are jointly issuing an urgent call for human milk donations for premature infants in Haiti, as well as sick and premature infants in the United States.

A press release announcing the need for milk noted that this week the first shipment of human milk from mothers in the United States will be shipped to the U.S. Navy Ship “Comfort,” which is stationed outside Haiti and set up with a neonatal intensive care unit and medical personnel to provide urgent care to victims of the earthquake. An International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and pediatric neonatologist are on board to aid the organizations in responding to requests to provide milk for both premature infants and at-risk mothers who have recently delivered babies on board the U.S.N.S. Comfort.

Once there is an infrastructure in place to ensure safe storage and distribution, donations will be made on the ground as well. In the meantime, relief organizations are urged to follow the guidelines for Infant Feeding in Emergencies and to remember that the safest source of human milk is a child’s own mother.

Mothers who are willing to donate human milk should contact their regional Mothers’ Milk Bank of HMBANA. A list of regional milk banks is available on their website at hmbana.org or call 408-998-4550.