Breast Milk Banks Fall Short On High Demand - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
It’s common knowledge to new mothers that many health experts recommend breastfeeding.
However, some moms have difficulty with the process, so breast milk banks were introduced. In recent years demand for donated mothers’ milk has steadfastly increased leaving the bank branches scrambling to keep up. An official for the Mother's Milk Bank in San Jose states “Our freezers are empty, but the demand is skyrocketing. It's just exponentially growing, so it's imperative for us to find more milk.”
There are currently a dozen banks affiliated with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, with the breast milk going to pre-term infants and those with mothers who have difficulty lactating until another feeding source can be arranged.
With the milk banks shortage and a price of $3 to $5 per ounce, some moms are turning to a Facebook page titled Eats on Feet. The site helps connect donors and parents, but there’s a big risk. Traded milk has no testing standards like those of the banks.
