California Declares May as First-Ever Human Milk Donation Month to Support Premature Infants
California's Senate Resolution 20 designates May as the first Human Milk Donation Month, highlighting the critical need for donor breast milk to support premature and medically fragile infants. The initiative seeks to raise awareness and increase donor participation to meet growing demand.
California lawmakers have officially designated May as the state's first Human Milk Donation Month, drawing attention to the urgent need for donor breast milk to support premature and medically fragile infants. Senate Resolution 20, authored by Senators Dave Cortese and Aisha Wahab, aims to underscore the life-saving potential of pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM).
The resolution comes amid a significant increase in demand for donor milk, with Mothers' Milk Bank California reporting a 30% surge in the past year. Currently, the organization distributes PDHM to 60% of California's NICUs, yet only 2% of eligible donors are contributing to this critical resource.
Preterm infants represent the primary population benefiting from donor milk. Reasons for needing donated breast milk include maternal absence, potential disease transmission, medication restrictions, or lactation challenges. In California, up to 99% of very preterm or very low birthweight babies use PDHM in the NICU, though the current donor pool meets less than 75% of the increased demand.
Each donated milk sample undergoes rigorous medical screening and pasteurization to ensure safety and preserve nutritional value. The milk is then distributed to hospitals and individuals through a regulated process, potentially preventing serious conditions like Necrotizing Enterocolitis, which can be deadly for premature babies.
Multiple health organizations, including UC Health Milk Bank and the California Breastfeeding Coalition, will support the public awareness campaign. Senator Cortese emphasized that breast milk is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve public health, highlighting the critical importance of increasing donor participation.