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Wyandotte County now has a place to donate human milk for at-risk babies

Raw human donor milk is being processed at The Milk Bank. The milk is screened, pasteurized and redistributed to babies in need in hospitals throughout the Midwest.
The Milk Bank
Raw human donor milk is being processed at The Milk Bank. The milk is screened, pasteurized and redistributed to babies in need in hospitals throughout the Midwest.

Breast milk is like medicine for low birth weight and at-risk babies, but not all infants have access. A human milk donation drop off site at Wyandotte County's health department is raising awareness and supporting babies in need across the Midwest.

Breast milk reduces health risks in infants, but not all babies have access — such as children born to surrogate mothers, babies placed in state care, or those who have a mother with health complications.

Women producing breast milk can now donate it at the Wyandotte County Public Health Department's new milk depot.

The human milk donation site opened in May and is a collection point for The Milk Bank, which then screens, pasteurizes and redistributes the milk to hospitals in the Midwest.

"This pasteurized donor milk diet reduces [babies] mortality by up to 75% and it can really help get them that head start they need," Mary Timmel told KCUR's Up To Date.

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