Breast milk donation
Héma-Québec manages the only public breast milk bank in Quebec. Ir provides pasteurized human milk to premature babies 32 weeks of gestation and under, requiring medical care and whose mother cannot breastfeed.
A large proportion of mothers who give birth prematurely have difficulty maintaining sufficient milk production for their child. Sometimes the mother is separated from her child, thus preventing her from breatsfeeding.
Breast milk contains both antibodies that fight infection as well as growth hormones that promote the development in newborns: two vital elements for very premature babies. .
To be able to give their breast milk, mothers must:
- Be healthy
- Breastfeed their baby and have an overproduction of milk
- Be a non-smoker
- Live in a municipality of the metropolitan community of Montreal or Quebec (see details on the website)
REGISTRATION
Mothers who wish to donate their milk and meet all criteria may register by filling out a for that is obtained by visitin https://www.hema-quebec.qc.ca/lait-maternel/donneuses-lait/banque-publique-lait-maternel.fr.html and selecting the I would like to donate, telephone assistamce can also be obtained by calling 1 800 565-6635 ext. 5253.
QUALIFICATION PROCESS
A selection process has been developed for mothers wishing to donate milk. This one aims to ensure the safety of the babies who will receive the donation. It includes a telephone interview during where the mother answers a health questionnaire, as well a bood test.
THE DONATION
Mothers who meet the qualification criteria collect their milk at home, freeze it and transport it to Héma-Québec at regular intervals. The milk collected is subjected to biochemical analysis to determine its nutritional value, then it is pasteurized to eliminate viruses and bacteria. It is then distributed to hospital to help premature babies.
For more information, visit the internet site hema-quebec.qc.ca