At a glance

The Rogers Hixon Ontario Human Milk Bank, Mount Sinai Hospital, Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex

WHY DONATE YOUR BREAST MILK?

• Donor milk helps save hospitalized babies lives
• Donor milk contains bioactive components including hormones and enzymes, that optimize baby’s health and development

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE TO DONATE IF YOU ARE:

• Nursing a baby up to 18 months of age
• In good general health
• Able to donate a minimum of 5 litres
• Free from smoking, illegal drug use and regular alcohol use
• A bereaved mother who wishes to donate her breast milk to help another baby
• Not currently taking medications (except daily vitamins and some hormone replacements)

Provides pasteurized human donor breast milk to help protect the most medically fragile babies

Approximately 1,000 fragile hospitalized babies could benefit from donor human milk in Ontario every year

HOW IT WORKS

1. To be a donor all you have to do is:
   • Visit milkbankontario.ca
   • Complete the screening questionnaire, sign a consent form and have a blood test
   • Pump and store surplus breast milk with guidance from Milk Bank staff
2. Once donor breast milk is received and pasteurized to eliminate harmful bacteria, it is provided by prescription to hospitalized babies throughout Ontario
3. Your donation helps:
   • Protect babies against risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, a severe condition that primarily targets preterm babies; and other serious illnesses and infections and other serious illnesses and infections
   • Provide preterm and medically fragile babies with optimal nutrition for a healthier start

Visit milkbankontario.ca