Overview

• Premature babies, particularly those born before 32 weeks or under 1,500 grams, benefit greatly from human milk due to its protective enzymes and antibodies.
• Human milk banks, such as the one in Dortmund, offer donated breast milk to infants whose mothers cannot produce milk due to medical or stress-related reasons.
• Germany has 53 human milk banks, but they face challenges like funding, staffing, and storage, leading to shortages in donor milk availability nationwide.
• Donated milk undergoes rigorous testing, pasteurization, and freezing to ensure safety and can be stored for up to six months for neonatal use.
• Experts emphasize that breast milk, even when donated, significantly reduces risks of severe conditions like necrotizing enterocolitis and other life-threatening complications in preterm infants.