Associated Press - December 7, 2008

Then the 29-year-old Greenwood mother found out she could donate her stock to the Mothers' Milk Bank of Ohio, which passes it on to hospitals and families in need.

"I helped out our daughter and then helped other children," Kluge said.

Thirty-four gallons of her milk went to the milk bank in Columbus, Ohio, for pasteurization. Some of it may have made its way back to central Wisconsin, where a pilot program to use donated breast milk has gotten under way.

Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital in Marshfield began using donated breast milk in its neonatal intensive care unit in September and is the only one in the state to do so, said Jean Fandrich, a registered dietitian and perinatal clinical nutrition specialist.

The program provides human breast milk for extremely premature babies - those weighing less than 3 1/2 pounds - in cases where mothers can't provide their own milk.

While formula can be adequate, babies were born to be breast-fed, said Dr. Audra Winder, a Marshfield Clinic doctor who helped develop the program. Breast milk has nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies vital for a newborn's growth and development, she said.

Premature infants are generally able to tolerate breast milk better than formula, and it reduces their risk of developing infections or bowel diseases, she said.

But donated breast milk isn't widely available. Fandrich said there are only about eight or nine donor banks nationwide.

Milk banks were more popular in the 1970s, before viral outbreaks such as HIV - which can be spread through breast milk - became prevalent.

Saint Joseph's has provided donor milk to about 40 babies during the past year. At $4 per ounce, the milk is more expensive than formula.

But the potential benefits are worth it, Winder said.

"The babies that we try to do exclusively human-milk feeding for are the extremely premature babies," she said. "Any mother with extra milk could consider donating."

The milk bank accepts donations from healthy lactating mothers who undergo medical screening, including comprehensive blood tests.

Kluge said the program was so rewarding that she plans to participate the next time she is lactating.

"I'm hoping when we have our next child I'm able to do that again," she said.

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