Breast milk donation site at Sugar Land hospital opens to help newborns
HOUSTON - Breast milk donations will now be accepted at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital to help support prematurely born, underweight, and health-compromised infants.
Mothers' Milk Bank Austin has opened the only collection site in Fort Bend County at the hospital and its first donation came from a nurse at the hospital, Hailey Stanford, who donated 1,740 ounces of milk.
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"When I first heard our Childbirth Center was going to become a milk collection site, I had two words for my boss: take it," Stanford said.
Addressing the escalating demand for human donor milk in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), lactating mothers now have the option to drop off their breast milk donations at the Houston Methodist Childbirth Center in Sugar Land. Eligible donors include women currently breastfeeding infants under one-year-old, with no charge for the screening process.
Nonprofit milk banks like Mothers’ Milk Bank Austin play a vital role in ensuring the safety and accessibility of donor human milk to infants with critical needs. The pasteurized breast milk is meticulously processed to meet the specific requirements of fragile and sick babies, extending support to those facing maternal emergencies or formula shortages.
The Houston Methodist Childbirth Center at Sugar Land, equipped with a level III NICU, is located at 16655 Southwest Fwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479.
Lactating women in Fort Bend County and surrounding areas interested in donating their breast milk to benefit premature, ill, and medically fragile infants can initiate the screening process by calling 877-813-6455.