CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center is now home to the only donor human milk depot in Mecklenburg County. In partnership with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), it is one of five new locations across the state where approved donors can store breastmilk to benefit babies in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) and hospital nurseries across the state and east coast.
Previously, couriers for WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank, the only human milk bank in North Carolina, picked up donations from donors’ homes across the state and transported it directly to Raleigh, creating a barrier in supply efficiency. With the establishment of five central depot sites for donations, including Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, the organization can expand its reach as well as its number of donors. Frozen donations brought to Novant Health are sterilized, stored in batches, and transported in bulk to the milk bank in Raleigh before wider distribution.
According to the March of Dimes, on average, 250 babies born in North Carolina each week are preterm, or delivered before the mother reaches 37 weeks of pregnancy. Premature babies are at a higher risk for complications and nutrition is key to their growth and development. There can be challenges to breastfeeding babies in the NICU, and donor human milk can help fill the gap while giving the baby the lifesaving antibodies breast milk offers.
“Novant Health is honored to serve as the only donor human milk bank in the Charlotte area. By establishing ourselves as a central drop off site, our hope is to reduce the expense of donor human milk in North Carolina and increase accessibility for newborns in need,” said Laura Corsig, an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, and manager of lactation services for Novant Health’s greater Charlotte region. “We are grateful to both NCDHHS and WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank for their partnership.”
Donor human milk can play an essential role in helping a vulnerable newborn thrive. Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs in the first six months of life, antibodies that help babies develop a strong immune system, and protects against necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal disease that can be deadly to sick babies.
There are less than 30 donor human milk banks in the United States and donor milk is in short supply nationwide. This initiative is part of larger efforts to increase donations and assist more families in need of donor milk.
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center is currently taking breast milk donations by appointment. Potential donors must be approved through the WakeMed Mothers’ Milk Bank and must pass a verbal and written screening, have a physician sign off, and undergo blood testing. All donations made to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center will be sent to Raleigh and pasteurized for the safety of the newborns who benefit from the donations.
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