3/14/18, Ft Worth, TX – The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and its 27 nonprofit human milk bank members reached new heights in 2017, with donor human milk distribution capping 5.75 million ounces dispensed to fragile babies throughout Canada and the US.
HMBANA President Naomi Bar-Yam stated, “Recent CDC data showed a 74% increase in the number of maternity hospitals using donor milk between 2011 and 2015. During that same time period, HMBANA grew by 99%. We continued to have record-setting years in 2016 and 2017, while working to ensure equitable access of donor milk for our stakeholders – hospitals, families, and medically fragile infants.”
Thanks to nearly 10,000 generous donors last year, HMBANA milk banks met growing demands while applying the highest globally accepted clinical standards, as set by HMBANA, the nonprofit milk banking accrediting body. According to HMBANA Executive Director Lindsay Groff, “Our network includes 27 nonprofit members throughout the US and Canada. Together we serve more hospitals than any individual milk bank could alone. With our 27th member joining us already in 2018 and five additional milk banks currently in development, HMBANA is prepared to support continued growth in demand as more hospitals make donor human milk the standard of care when mother’s own milk is unavailable.”
The size and geographic reach of HMBANA’s network of collaborative, nonprofit milk banks ensures robust supply and service. All HMBANA members share the same high clinical standards while advocating ethical sourcing and equitable distribution of donor milk, and providing community breastfeeding support.
The graphic below charts the network’s growth by distribution of ounces of pasteurized donor human milk. In 2000, HMBANA milk banks distributed under half a million ounces; by 2017, their supply grew five times over and they distributed 5.75 million ounces.
HMBANA advances the field of nonprofit milk banking through member accreditation, development of evidence-based best practices, and advocacy of breastfeeding and human lactation to ensure an ethically sourced and equitably distributed supply of donor human milk.
