The Milk Bank and the Indiana Department of Health have partnered to host donated breast milk drives across the state as the baby formula shortage continues in the United States, according to WFYI.
The Milk Bank, an Indianapolis-based non-profit organization, provides donated breast milk to infants confined in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and babies with medical needs who could benefit from human milk.
According to The Milk Bank Advancement Director Jenna Streit, the non-profit helped around 100 American families who could not find formula during the shortage, which started in May after formula recalls and supply chain issues.
The Milk Bank looking to find solutions to baby formula shortage
Streit said they have been working together in recent months to help solve this formula shortage, but they know that The Milk Bank can't be the only solution to the formula shortage. She added that other solutions to the ongoing problem include addressing supply chain issues causing the shortage in infant formula and providing more breastfeeding support.
The good news for parents is that formula is less scarce these days. The in-stock figure, which measures the percentage of expected demand suppliers have available to sell, was 72 percent in Indiana for baby formula powder the week ending July 31. That is up from a low of 67 percent the week ending July 10, according to data from IRI Worldwide. The figures follow nationwide trends.
Nevertheless, more breast milk donations are still needed to fill the gap. According to a news release, The Milk Bank has had an 89 percent increase in demand and a more than 200 percent hike in medical relief requests in the last month. Streit said The Milk Bank recognized the need for increasing the number of donors and the amount of donated milk.
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Where will the milk drives be held?
After registering online, new breast milk donors can complete a blood test, the final step in the process, at one of the five scheduled "Every Ounce Counts" milk drives in Indiana. Milk donations will also be collected during these events.
Streit clarified that blood tests are an essential safety requirement for new donors. She said that because milk received at The Milk Bank can go to the most fragile infants in the NICU, they need to ensure that the milk donated is entirely safe.
She added that they need to know what medications a person takes and ensure they don't have any transmissible disease. Streit explained that is what the blood test confirms for them.
The Milk drives will be held at IU Health Bloomington Hospital in Monroe County on August 13, at Food Bank of Northwest Indiana in Lake County on August 23, at Clark Memorial Health in Clark County on September 8, in Allen County at Dupont Hospital on a yet to be determined date in September and at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana in Marion County on October 7, according to WANE.
