SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― In recognition of World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1 through 7, Regional West Birth and Infant Care Center is encouraging area mothers with excess breast milk to donate to Mothers’ Milk Bank. More than 120 countries celebrate World Breastfeeding Week every year.

Since 2018, Regional West’s Birth and Infant Care Center has been a collection site for the Mothers’ Milk Bank network, a Colorado-based nonprofit program benefitting babies nationwide. Area mothers who produce milk in excess of their babies’ needs can drop off bags of milk at the Birth and Infant Care Center. Donations are handled with personal protective equipment (PPE) and pasteurized using a special heat treatment recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The milk is tagged and safely stored in a freezer until it is ready to distribute to babies in need.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding includes numerous benefits for both mother and baby. Breast milk carries all the necessary nutrients and is easy for babies to digest. The CDC states that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most infants and can help protect against many illnesses, including COVID-19. Breastfeeding mothers have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

“In addition to nutritional and disease protection benefits, breastfeeding promotes a unique bond between mother and baby,” said Erika Carmody, RN, MSN, director of Regional West Birth and Infant Care Center and Pediatrics. “We’re proud to encourage breastfeeding mothers through lactation support and life-saving milk bank donations.”

Women interested in donating breast milk may complete a donor application form at https://rmchildren.org/mothers-milk-bank/donate-milk/become-a-donor/ or call 303-869-1888. A blood test is required and will be provided free of charge. Donors can drop milk off at Regional West’s main entrance. Please call the Birth and Infant Care Center at 308-630-1550 prior to arrival so a staff member can come and collect the donation. To learn more about donation, visit www.milkbankcolorado.org.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and the only Level II Trauma Center in Nebraska west of Kearney. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers and approximately 2,000 staff members, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.