Lactation Services
ShorePoint Health's Baby Place is Charlotte County's first Milk Depot - a controlled collection point where women can donate their breast milk for premature babies. The donations are then transferred to Mothers' Milk Bank of Florida, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, who collect, screen, process and pasteurize the donations to in turn provide breast milk to the most fragile infants who would otherwise have to drink formula.
Community Need
Breastfeeding is the natural biological mode of infant feeding, and breast milk is irrefutably superior to any artificially prepared substitute(1). However, not all mothers are able to supply breast milk and donor human milk is the next best nutritional option, especially for medically fragile infants. Among these vulnerable infants, there is a higher risk for complications, co-morbidities and sometimes death when human milk is not available(2).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of pasteurized donor human milk when milk from the baby’s mother is not available. The US Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding recommends that each state develop its own nonprofit milk bank. Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida is the 16th Milk Bank in the United States, and the first one in Florida. At ShorePoint Baby Place, we are proud to be a resource and depot to support Mothers’ Milk Bank of Florida and to meet the needs of Florida's children.
In 2017, ShorePoint Baby Place helped send 2,264 ounces of human milk to the Milk Depot processing lab in Orlando. This, combined with the efforts of those across the state, led to a record breaking 249,615 ounces in total.
Interested in Becoming a Donor?
Local moms interested in donating their breast milk can start the screening process by calling the Mothers' Milk Bank of Florida at (407) 248-5050 or visiting milkbankofflorida.org. Once approved, you can bring your frozen milk to ShorePoint Baby Place's Milk Depot, which accepts donations Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
In the News
WINK News: Breast milk donation facility opens in Port Charlotte - (08/2016)
Questions?
Contact: (941) 766-4414
1 AAP: Eidelman, et. al, 2012; CPS: Kim & Unger, WHO, 2008.
2 Abrams, et. al, 2014; Cristofalo, et. al, 2013; Quigley & McGuire, 2014; Sullivan, et, al, 2010.