How the Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank is Fighting to #ProtectSickBabies: An Interview With Founder Denise O' Connor

This month we sat down with longtime friend and client Denise O’Connor, founder and executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank, to discuss why human donor milk really is the best medicine for fragile newborns – and how the #ProtectSickBabies campaign is pushing for critical insurance coverage and reimbursement to ensure all babies have access to this life-saving resource. In 2021 the Milk Bank distributed a record 294,334 ounces of milk to infants across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.

Tell us a bit about the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank.

Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank is a nonprofit human milk bank. We’re like a blood bank, but for human milk. We get milk from generous volunteer donors who go through a thorough screening process. Then we take that milk and we bottle it, pasteurize it, and test it before it is distributed to hospitals – primarily neonatal intensive care units – and to outpatient babies that have medical needs.

The reason that we exist is because human milk is the most perfect nutrition for all little humans, but for babies who are born prematurely or sick, it is more than that – it is actually medicine. It protects babies who are significantly premature, or who have GI, cardiac, or immunological issues from very serious complications when they do not have access to their mothers’ own milk.

What is the #ProtectSickBabies effort?

We have to do a lot to donor milk to make sure that it is safe. We test it for bacteria, we nutritionally analyze that milk, and we pasteurize it at a low temperature – which inactivates viruses and bacteria but keeps a lot of the bioactivity, which is really important to protect that baby. Of course that all has a cost – not the milk itself, which is generously donated by our volunteer donors – but instead the processing that goes into that milk to make it safe.

For the babies being cared for at home who require donor milk, the one commonality between all of them is that they are in really complex medical situations. These are kids that have severe allergies, immunological issues, or who suffered NEC [necrotizing enterocolitis, a potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal condition] who really do need human milk to thrive.

Outpatients are dependent on insurance coverage. Donor milk is pretty expensive – our processing fees are some of the lowest in the country, but they are still about $4.10 an ounce. For a baby that’s drinking 20-30 ounces a day, that is out of the reach of nearly all parents. So insurance really is key for making sure babies have access to that milk – but we have found that there are a lot of inconsistencies with insurance coverage. We try to make that up as much as we can with an income-based sliding scale program, but it is not enough.

On the inpatient side, we have some hospitals who have now broadened their criteria and who have donor milk available for any baby that needs it, even healthy newborns. And then we have other hospitals that struggle just to be able to offer donor milk to the teeniest, tiniest, most preterm babies. Being able to have consistent insurance coverage both on the inpatient and outpatient side will ensure that those babies who are the most at risk are all able to have donor milk consistently.

Tell us more about the #ProtectSickBabies Day of Action on Wednesday, March 30.

That is a day where we’re going to be blasting out all sorts of information about HB 2017, and also the importance of donor milk. Not only do we want to get this bill across the finish line to protect those babies within the Commonwealth, but it is also really important for all families to know that donor milk banks exist. We need families who have extra milk to know where to call – and it’s extraordinarily important for recipient families to know that milk banks exist, that milk banking is evidence-based, and that donor milk is safe.

Tune in for the Protect Sick Babies Day of Action

Wednesday, March 30th | 9am to 5pm

Follow along on Facebook and spread the word!

In just two days, the #ProtectSickBabies’ campaign will be hosting its first Day of Action all day on Wednesday, March 30th, and we invite you to join in on the day’s activities. The event will be hosted on the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank’s Facebook page and will feature:

  • Videos from lead sponsor Rep. Wendi Thomas and her colleagues

  • Stories from moms who fought for donor milk insurance coverage

  • Clinicians speaking on behalf of why HB2017 and the fight for access to donor milk is so important for PA

  • Actions you can take to help urge legislators in Harrisburg to pass the Protect Sick Babies Act

Also be sure to check out the Protect Sick Babies Website to learn more about this life-saving medication and what it could mean for Pennsylvania’s smallest residents.

Want to Learn More About How a Digital Advocacy Day Works?

DCS is proud to be working with the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank on its upcoming Day of Action on March 30th. It’s a day full of customized online activities designed to engage grassroots advocates, urge legislators to take action, and educate the public about the critical work that MAMMB does every day.

Think your org would be interested in something similar? Learn more about how a Digital Advocacy Day works here – and be sure to email jrdenny@dennycivicsolutions.com or drop us a line at 412-551-1770 to chat about how Denny Civic Solutions can move your own cause forward.

DCS NewsDCS TeamMid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank, Digital Advocacy Day, digi