Stories of success: the use of donor milk is increasing in North America

Abstract

Donor milk has been used to successfully treat a number of medical conditions in infants. This article highlights 3 such success stories describing the use of human milk in cases of velocardiofacial syndrome, very-low-birth weight, and failure to thrive. In 2002, more than 300 infants and young children and 15 adults received donor milk from 6 milk banks in the United States and I milk bank in Canada. Donor milk is often used to ensure optimal outcomes in full term or preterm infants until their own mother's milk volume is sufficient to meet their needs. However, human milk may be a lifesaving therapy for infants and young children with unusual medical conditions.