Cedars-Sinai Holds 2nd Annual Mothers Milk Drive

LOS ANGELES (July 31, 2024) — Cedars-Sinai is partnering with University of California Health Milk Bank to host a breast milk donation drive on Aug. 4. The drive will help ensure the availability of breast milk for premature babies whose mothers may not yet be producing milk or who may not be able to pump enough milk.

“Donor milk plays a crucial role in improving the outcomes for our most vulnerable premature infants,” said Bevin Merideth, MSN, RN, associate director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s. “A diet comprised of human milk—whether maternal, donor, or a combination of both—has been shown to significantly decrease the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC], an inflammation of the intestinal tract, which is the leading cause of death in premature infants,” Merideth said.

To participate in the breast milk drive, donors first register with the milk bank, share their health history and undergo a blood test.  

Wendy De Leon, Cedars-Sinai’s lead lactation consultant, said donors are helping the smallest patients.

“Babies digest human milk better than bovine protein and the antibodies from breast milk are greater than what babies would receive from formula,” De Leon said. “The availability of donor breast milk in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU] is made possible through these generous donations of surplus breast milk to milk banks.”

Those who wish to participate in the upcoming milk drive should preregister and bring their frozen milk in a cooler to the drop-off. Frozen breast milk is good for approximately six months.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Support for Nursing Parents