Babies born very prematurely face life-threatening challenges, one of which is often their mother’s inability to produce enough breast milk. The Cottage Children’s Medical Center will host a breast milk donor drive on Thursday, October 10, to help very low-weight babies maintain their health.
Infants can survive weighing as little as 1,800 grams, or 3.9 pounds, said Maria Zate with Cottage Health. But they are at high risk for an infection that can destroy the colon and bowel, which mother’s milk can help prevent. Working with San Jose’s Mother’s Milk Bank, Cottage hopes nursing mothers will help restock one of only four such milk banks in the country.
The donor milk drive takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Women’s Services Conference Room off the 400 West Pueblo Street entrance of the Santa Barbara hospital. Donations require screening and also proper storage. Call (805) 569-8250 to learn more.