MISSION
Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee is dedicated to providing safe, pasteurized donor human milk to the most vulnerable babies.
PURPOSE
Natural, safe pasteurized human milk (PDHM) is needed because human milk has been shown to decrease the incidence of life-threatening newborn infections. In fact, resent studies proved the use of only human milk to feed preterm and low birth weight infants reduced mortality by 75%.
RECIPIENTS
Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM) is prioritized for the smallest and most medically fragile babies. At this time, Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee distributes pasteurized donor human milk exclusively to hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
HISTORY
Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee was founded in 2014 by Brister and Helen Scott, and Bruce and Susan Campbell.
Mothers with excess milk complete a screening process which includes an application, medical screening, blood test and physician's consent.
Once a donor is approved to donate, she delivers her milk frozen to one of our Milk Drop Depots located across the state.
Processing
The donor milk is then transferred to Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee's facility in Murfreesboro where it is filtered, mixed, pasteurized, cultured, and bottled.
Dispensing
Once the processing is complete, the Pasteurized Human Donor Milk (PHDM) is bottled and distributed to hospital NICUs across Tennessee where it is dispensed to vulnerable and medically fragile infants.
Pasteurized Donor Human Milk
(PDHM)
What is Pasteurized Donor Human Milk?
Pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) is donated breast milk that has been screened, pooled, and tested so that it can be dispensed to medically fragile and vulnerable infants. Pasteurization eliminates harmful bacteria or other potential infecting organisms. A small number of nutritional elements are lost in the pasteurization process; however donor milk has been proven to be the second-best choice after mothers’ own breast milk.
Is Pasteurized Donor Human Milk safe?
Our top priority is to dispense the safest Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM). Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee follows strict screening, processing, and dispensing guidelines established by Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). These guidelines have been established with the advisement of the Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, and the blood and tissue industries.​
OUR WORK IS CRUCIAL
Tennessee Data
1 in 9
babies are born preterm
1 in 11
babies are born at low birthweight.
14th
highest infant mortality rate in the nation.
3,855
NICU admissions
last year.
Sources: CDC and Tennessee Department of Health
