New Breast Milk Donation Depot Opens in Campbell River to Support B.C. Babies in Need

Strategic Insights -

On October 31st, the Campbell River Health Unit will become a donor milk collection depot for the Provincial Milk Bank, providing a vital service to families with premature or critically ill infants. This initiative aligns with the growing demand for donor milk, which often exceeds supply, as stated by Kaitlin March, operations manager of specialty nutrition services at B.C. Women's Hospital. Donors who are screened by the milk bank can drop off their excess raw, frozen breast milk Monday to Wednesday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Campbell River Health Unit will become a donor milk collection depot for the Provincial Milk Bank, providing space for screened donors to drop off excess raw, frozen breast milk.
  • The donated milk will be transported to B.C. Women's Hospital + Health Centre in Vancouver, pasteurized, and distributed to neonatal intensive care, maternity, and pediatric units across the province.
  • Pasteurized donor milk can be a life-saving measure for premature or critically ill infants, providing babies with antibodies to fight disease and infection.
  • Island Health's public health manager Carolyn Hutton knows firsthand the importance of milk donations for families, having received donor milk 17 years ago when her twins were born premature.
  • Hutton's experience highlights the critical need for milk donations, especially for families with premature or critically ill babies.
  • B.C. Women's Hospital + Health Centre's website, Donating Milk, provides information on eligibility for breast milk donation.
  • All pregnant individuals can register for Island Health's prenatal Public Health Nursing service, Right from the Start, to learn more about breast milk donation.

Statistics:

  • Since 2016, donors via the two depots in Victoria General Hospital and Nanaimo Regional General Hospital have given 3,683 litres of milk.
  • This amount is enough to fill approximately 18 bathtubs, highlighting the significant impact of breast milk donations.
  • Donors can drop off their breast milk Monday to Wednesday between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Sources:

  • "Release from Island Health"
  • "BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre's website, Donating Milk"
  • "Right from the Start" (Island Health's prenatal Public Health Nursing service)
  • "Nanaimo News Bulletin"
  • "Island Health"