The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) is on track to break its milk donation record.
The NICU collects milk from approved Northern donors, ships it to the provincial milk bank for processing and provides pasteurized donor human milk to eligible NICU babies, which are some of northern B.C.’s smallest and most fragile babies.
In the last four years the NICU has collected an average of 102,000 ml per year from approved northern B.C. donors and the highest collection year was in 2021/22 with a total of 113,300 ml donated.
However, this year milk donations are already up. In the first seven months of 2023 alone, the NICU has collected 95,000 mL of milk from eight approved donors.
In other words, with five months left to go in 2023, they are already at 84 per cent of the previous highest collection volume.
That is over 3,000 ounces total, or about 400 ounces per donor.
The NIU also collects data on how much donor milk is provided to babies and in July it provided a total of 16,320 mL (544 ounces) of pasteurized donor human milk to seven different babies.
“Before starting in NICU, I didn't realize the importance of donor breast milk. However, I've learned it is extremely beneficial for our premature babies, allowing them to have a quicker recovery with less adverse events,” said Stephanie Mosley, a NICU student nurse in a Northern Health blog post.
“It also takes the stress off of moms who are working to build their milk supply.”
Those interested in becoming a human milk donor can find out more information through Northern Health’s website.
