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A new milk depot at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas is providing much-needed support to families in the state. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) opened the milk depot in collaboration with Mercy Hospital, aiming to provide donated breast milk to premature or healthy babies in need.
Before the establishment of the milk bank and depot, neonatal intensive care units in Arkansas had to purchase milk from out of state. The UAMS milk bank provided a freezer at the depot where donated breast milk is stored for future use.
Misty Virmani, the executive medical director of the UAMS Milk Bank, emphasized the numerous benefits of breast milk for infants, including a reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome and diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis. She also noted the reduced risk of developing diabetes, ovarian cancer, or breast cancer in women who breastfeed after giving birth.
Chanell Seltz, a mother of five, expressed her support for the milk depot, mentioning her own experience struggling with breastfeeding and the importance of receiving donated milk for her baby in the neonatal intensive care unit.
The milk depot aims to alleviate stress for mothers who have trouble breastfeeding, providing them with a valuable resource for their babies’ nutrition. Donors go through a thorough screening process to ensure the quality and safety of their milk before it is stored in the depot’s freezer.
Hannah McHardy, a prenatal nurse navigator at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, emphasized the relief and support that donated milk offers to mothers in need, noting the positive impact on both the mothers and their babies.
The addition of the milk depot at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas serves as a crucial resource for families and infants in the state. It provides a safe and reliable source of breast milk, contributing to improved maternal and infant health outcomes.
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