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Saskatoon group hopes to see Human Milk Banks return to Sk

Aug 18, 2012 | 4:00 PM

A local breastfeeding action group is stepping up pressure to see Saskatchewan join other western provinces in opening a donor human milk bank.

“There’s been recent interest in increasing the number of milk banks in Canada,” said Adrienne Danyliw, a mom and member of Saskatoon Breastfeeding Matters.

Danyliw said right now moms who can’t accesses pasteurized donor milk are turning to other mothers to provide milk – a trend that comes with risks.
The Farmers Market Saturday is the launch pad for a new petition to raise public awareness as well as grab the attention of the Ministry of Health.

“We hope that they would support the petition and recognize the need for a human milk bank in Saskatchewan,” said Danyliw.
As a mother of a baby just six months old, Danyliw said she is well aware of a need not being met.

“You want to encourage mom’s own milk but sometimes that just doesn’t work out and right now there is just no other option other then formula,” said Danyliw.

Over 4,000 births are recorded by the Saskatoon Health Region a year. Danyliw said if even 10 per cent of those moms donated milk a couple of times they region would have plenty.

The donated milk would go primarily to babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.

“For those babies who are really sick or who are really premature, they can benefit from human milk because it helps reduce mortality and readmissions and just helps them be healthier babies,” said Danyliw.

The Saskatoon city hospital had a donor human milk bank up until the mid 80’s when new information about HIV transmission came to light. That information lead to increased donor screening and testing which in turn made the bank unaffordable.

A bank in Vancouver survived the closures in the 80’s and for years has been the only bank in Canada. Now a bank has opened in Calgary with some eastern provinces slated to also re-open banks.

At one point it was hoped the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan would include space for a bank, but because of financial restrictions the space isn’t available.

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