Breast milk is the best nutrition for your baby. However if you cannot give your baby milk, donor milk is available at the hospital or local milk bank. A sick or premature baby may need to be cared for in the hospital until he is strong enough to go home.
 

 
Giving your baby breastmilk during his hospital stay can shorten his stay and prevent infections. It also helps build the baby’s immune system to fight bacteria and viruses while providing  nutrition for growth and development. Breastfed babies are able to go home quicker than formula fed babies.

Your baby can still get donor breast milk even at home. In most areas however, donor breast milk is limited in supply and very sick and fragile babies are given the highest priority. You will need prescription from your doctor to receive donor breast milk.

Is donor breast milk safe ?

 
Donated breast milk is very safe. It comes from mothers who pump more breast milk than their babies can consume. Mothers are tested for diseases that can pass through breast milk before they can donate. Milk is tested for harmful bacteria.  The milk is then pasteurized to eliminate  any infection that may be present in the milk. Pasteurized milk loses a small percentage of the  nutritional and immunological properties but still retains many of its beneficial properties. It contains special properties that cannot be duplicated  by commercial milk formula.
 
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