Business Wire - October 22, 2007
IBMP was created in 2006 by Jill Youse, with the goal of providing nutrient-rich human breast milk for babies in need. The first IBMP breast milk shipment in 2006 contained the donated breast milk of only one person, Jill Youse. As of May 31, IBMP had over 800 milk donor applicants from across the United States, and 305 of these mothers made donations totaling 55,000 ounces of breast milk. All 55,000 ounces have been sent to South Africa, with 5,000 ounces shipped in May of 2007, and the remaining 50,000 ounces in transit.
"I am thrilled that so many women across the country are as passionate about this issue as I am," said Jill Youse, founder of IBMP. "This monumental amount of breast milk being sent to South Africa will come to the aid of babies who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. It will provide them with an excellent source of nutrients that are not found in anything else except for breast milk."
Several organizations were involved in donating products and services in order to make the shipment to South Africa possible. Prolacta (www.prolacta.com) processed 55,000 ounces of milk to ensure safety and quality, so that the end product mirrors the quality and nutritional value of their products provided to neonatal intensive care units in the United States. Quick International (www.qintl.com) donated the shipping and courier services for delivery of the breast milk to the iThemba Lethu orphanage, Avent (www.avent.com) donated 5,500 baby bottles, Miracle Blanket (www.miracleblanket.com) donated dozens of swaddling blankets, Amy's Kitchen (www.amyskitchen.com) donated 144 cases of canned goods, and Global Cold Chain Alliance (http://gcca.org/gcca/) helped find a cold storage facility to house the donor milk in Durban.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) www.who.int, breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. WHO also believes that breast milk promotes sensory and cognitive development, and protects infants against infectious and chronic diseases. WHO also points to studies that indicate that exclusive breastfeeding reduces infant mortality due to common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea or pneumonia, and helps for a quicker recovery during illness (http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_ exclusive.htm). (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)
Prolacta specializes in the nutritional needs of underweight, premature, and critically ill babies, focused on the first 30 days of life. Infants born weighing less than three pounds, five ounces (1,500 grams) are considered very low birth weight, and are at substantial risk of serious health problems, lasting disabilities, and even death. Annually, about 62,000 babies in the United States are born very low birth weight, and nationwide, approximately 500,000 babies are born prematurely each year, which is equal to nearly 12% of all U.S. births. The rate of preterm birth has increased 27 percent between 1982 and 2002, from 9.4 percent to 11.9 percent.
"When approached by Jill Youse and asked to assist in their program helping babies in Africa, we were more than happy to step up since our organization is committed to improving neonatal nutrition for critically ill babies," said Scott Elster, CEO of Prolacta. "While we are still a small, startup organization, we felt that IBMP was working towards such an amazing and noble cause, that there was no question in our mind as to whether we should help."
Prolacta's products are made from donor human breast milk. Breast milk has been shown in clinical research studies to help babies resist infections and decrease the incidence of serious diseases, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), sepsis, bacterial meningitis, and ear infections. The antibodies found in breast milk, as well as other human protective molecules are not present in other forms of milk, such as cow milk.
About Prolacta
Prolacta Bioscience (www.prolacta.com) is a life science company dedicated to the application of science relating to human milk - one of nature's most complex and valuable substances. Prolacta offers a suite of specialty formulations of human milk for the nutritional needs of premature and critically ill infants. The company operates a pharmaceutical grade processing plant and has designed and patented processes unique to the science of human milk. Prolacta is committed to supporting research in the areas of human milk and premature infant nutrition in order to assist health care professionals in providing the best possible care for the most fragile babies.
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Contacts:
for Prolacta Bioscience
Loren Kosmont, 310-721-9444
loren@pstrategies.net
071022
BW071026
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