In plain words
Donor milk is breast milk from a donor mother, given to a baby who needs it. Milk banks screen donors for health and medications, then pasteurize the milk. Donor milk is used when a baby's own milk is not available or not enough, most often for premature or very sick babies. Some families also use donor milk for healthy term babies, usually when they are . Health groups set a clear order: a baby's own milk comes first, then donor milk, then formula. Families who use donor milk usually talk with their provider and their pediatrician about where to get it. Donor milk is not sold for individual use in most places, so sourcing is an important question.
The deeper version
Clinical guidance sets a hierarchy of own milk, then donor milk, then formula for medically indicated . The American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on donor human milk for the high-risk infant (2017) describes preparation, safety, and usage options in the United States, with through Holder method in milk banks accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The AAP policy on breastfeeding and the use of human milk (2022) and Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol 3 set the indications, including prematurity, feeding failure, and some medical conditions. Controversy concerns unscreened informal sharing, the nutritional variability of pooled milk, and access, which is uneven across regions and insurance settings.
Where it comes up
What mothers here say about donor milk
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Policy statement: Donor Human Milk for the High-Risk Infant, Pediatrics, 2017
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Policy statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk, Pediatrics, 2022