Human Milk Banking in the United States

Approximately 30 milk banks existed in the early 1980s in the United States, whereas seven banks currently exist in the United States and one in Canada. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in human milk banks as evidenced by the number of institutions in various stages of developing new human milk banks. During 2003, North American milk banks processed more than 500,000 ounces of donated human milk that was used in individuals with a variety of diagnoses. Human milk banking continues to evolve and grow as new information on the nutritional composition of milk and the needs of the neonate, as well as the benefits of donor human milk for the fragile infant, are anticipated, as discussed by Arnold [Arnold LD: The cost-effectiveness of using banked donor milk in the neonatal intensive care unit: prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis. J Hum Lact 18:172-177, 2002]. Based on the number of premature infants in North America, the number of potential recipients is not likely to diminish anytime soon. The expanding numbers and capacity of existing milk banks can meet this need. As the public and neonatal community awareness of donor human milk benefits and safety grows, the demand for this precious commodity may increase. This article provides an overview of human milk banking and describes in more detail the specific practices of the human milk bank in Austin, Texas.