DONOR mums in Donegal are being urged to provide lifesaving breast milk to premature and sick babies across Ireland.
The Western Trust Human Milk Bank Service is calling on donor mums to come forward and help to provide essential donor breast milk for babies in neonatal units in hospitals across the country this year.
The service is based in the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen.
Last year the Human Milk Bank provided 973 litres of donor breast milk to 31 units across 27 hospitals throughout Ireland.
This precious lifesaving donor milk has helped 773 premature babies, of which 233 were either a twin or a triplet.
Breast milk gives premature and sick babies the best possible start in life as it helps build their immune system, their eye and brain development and prevent Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC), which is a devastating intestinal disease affecting premature or low birth weight
babies.
Susan Rogers, Lead Nurse for Public Health, thanked all human milk donors. She said there is a high demand for human milk.
“We are indebted to our donor mums who have continued to provide essential donor breast milk for babies in neonatal and surgical units in hospitals throughout the whole of Ireland.
“The Human Milk Bank staff are working very hard to ensure this vital service remains available to all our vulnerable premature and surgical babies as the demand for donor expressed breast milk at this time is exceptionally high,” she said.
“We are continuing to experience a high demand for human milk. It is essential that we recruit donors on a continual basis. I would appeal to expectant mums to consider becoming a donor and for our donor mums to spread the word about the Human Milk Bank as this is the best way to help us recruit new mums.
“We are also extremely grateful for the support of the Voluntary Blood Bikers, who continue to transport our much needed donor breast milk in all weather conditions.”
Anyone who would like to find out more about the Human Milk Bank and becoming a donor is asked to contact the Human Milk Bank on (0044) 28 6862 8333 or email tmb.swah@ westerntrust.hscni.net
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