FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 14, 2025
Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee Launches Outpatient Program
Murfreesboro, TN — Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee is making safe donor human milk more accessible with the launch of its Outpatient Program. Until now, the nonprofit organization has exclusively dispensed pasteurized donor human milk directly to hospitals to benefit infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and hospital nurseries. The new program will allow the organization to expand its reach to families with medically fragile infants at home or infants in need of donor milk while mom’s own milk is insufficient or not available.
“Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee is now able to make a greater impact by reaching more babies,” said Susan Campbell, MD, IBCLC, and Executive Director of Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee.
Since opening in 2021, the organization has approved over 1,000 lactating mothers after a comprehensive medical and lifestyle screening to donate their extra milk. Mothers' Milk Bank of Tennessee has dispensed approximately 750,000 feedings of lifesaving donor human milk to preterm and medically fragile infants in hospitals in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi.
“As awareness of our mission has increased, our supply of donor milk has increased tremendously. This expansion of service would not be possible without the generosity of our donor mothers. It is because of them that we are now able to serve a broader population,” said Campbell.
For the best health outcomes, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants be fed breast milk exclusively for the first six months of life, and they encourage breastfeeding for longer. While 81% of Tennessee mothers initiate breastfeeding, only 25% of mothers exclusively breastfeed by the time their infant is six months old.
“Mom’s own milk is the optimal nutrition for infants. When moms experience challenges in establishing their own milk supply, the AAP recommends Pasteurized Donor Human Milk as the best alternative. The purpose of this new program is to bridge a gap and help more mothers meet their breastfeeding goals,” said Campbell.
A prescription by the infant’s pediatrician is required for requests of 11 bottles or more. Families may request up to 10 bottles of donor milk one-time without a prescription to be used as a supplement when mom’s own milk is not available.
“We rely on the generosity of volunteer milk donors to help us meet the demand for donor milk. Because of this, we cannot guarantee the availability of donor milk. All requests will be evaluated on an individual basis,” said Christina Foreman, Operations Director of Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee.
In the event that Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee is unable to supply the needs of outpatient requests, the organization will refer families to other Human Milk Banking Association of North American (HMBANA) accredited member milk banks.
A processing fee will be assessed to cover a portion of the significant costs required for donor screening, nutritional analysis, pasteurization, microbiological testing and storage. For families in need of financial assistance, Mothers’ Milk Bank of Tennessee has established a compassionate care fund thanks to the support of financial donors.
For more information about receiving donor milk for outpatient use or to contribute to the Compassionate Care Fund, please visit milkbanktn.org/outpatient.
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