By REYNA REVELLE
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Ascension St. Vincent Carmel, 13500 N. Meridian St., has opened Hamilton County’s first site for donating and accessing life-saving donor breast milk, offering hope and health to Indiana’s youngest residents.
The new milk depot and express site aims to address Indiana’s high infant mortality rates, which rank the state 41st out of 50. Research indicates that a 100 percent breast milk diet can significantly improve survival rates for infants with necrotizing enterocolitis, a gastrointestinal disease with a high fatality rate.
“The State of Indiana has a long way to go when it comes to infant mortality health,” said Chad Dilley, President of Ascension St. Vincent Carmel. “We know the breast milk and breastfed babies do better when it comes to infant mortality.”
“Necrotizing enterocolitis is a GI disease,” said Lindsay McGuire, Assistant Director of Advancement at The Milk Bank. “Unfortunately, it has a 50 percent fatality rate for those who have it. Still, research has shown that when those babies are provided a 100 percent breastmilk diet, survival odds go up higher than 70 percent.”
Ascension St. Vincent needs to screen about 150 women monthly to meet the high demand in the NICU. Last year, nearly 1,300 women were approved as active milk donors, but the need for new donors remains constant due to the temporary nature of breastfeeding and lactation. McGuire emphasized the ease of becoming a milk donor, noting that large quantities of frozen milk are not necessary to contribute.
Photo provided by Ascension St. Vincent Carmel
The establishment of the milk depot and express site at Ascension St. Vincent Carmel represents a significant step towards improving infant health outcomes in Indiana, offering critical resources to families in need.
The site is open to the public, providing more families with access to essential nourishment for their babies. If you would like to get involved, please visit this link.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/health-spotlight/carmel-hospital-opens-site-to-donate-and-access-breast-milk.