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CHKD Milk Bank needs local donors to help premature or critically ill infants

Posted at 3:44 PM, Dec 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-12 15:45:16-05

NORFOLK, Va. – The King’s Daughters Milk Bankat CHKD is looking for local donors to help premature or critically ill infants.

The bank was established to provide the life-saving benefits of breast milk the infants that need it.

The mink donations help to improve the infant’s potential to survive.

The CDC says each year, preterm birth affects nearly 500,000 babies which is one of every eight babies born in the United States .

The supply of donor human milk does not currently meet the demand of the babies who would benefit from it, according to CHKD.

Many factors can prevent mothers of preterm or critically ill infants from providing a sufficient supply of their own milk. CHKD says the breast milk decreases the odds of life-threatening complications and infections in premature infants during the first months of their lives, and that is where the donations come in to help.

The Milk Bank is a nonprofit, hospital-based donor milk bank and was the first of its kind in Virginia when it opened in 2014.

At the time of the bank’s opening it was also only one of 14 in the country.

CHKD asks that interested donors email KDMilkBank@CHKD.org or call  (757) 668-MILK.

The bank is open Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located at 400 Gresham Drive in Norfolk.

Click here for more information on the Milk Bank.

Related:

Virginia Beach mom makes record donations to CHKD breast milk bank

CHKD to establish first Donor Milk Bank in Virginia