Got Milk? Why Not Bank It? (2/2)

"The fact is that there are so many different proteins and specialized sugars in the breast milk that the mom's able to make that help provide immunity" class="hjdict" word="immunity" target=_blank>immunity. It's very important for the health of the newborn."

Lucy Baur, lives near Fort Wayne. She breastfed both her children and always had more milk than they needed. She wanted to donate to the Indiana Mothers Milk Bank in Indianapolis. But freezing and shipping milk can be costly. Then, a donor station opened near her home.

Milk donations in the United States work like this. Donors must be willing to provide almost three liters of breast milk. They freeze the milk and take it to the station. There, employees warm the milk and mix it with other mothers' milk. Then, the milk is heated to kill bacteria" class="hjdict" word="bacteria" target=_blank>bacteria. After that, the technicians test samples of all the milk to make sure it is safe and healthful. The milk is re-frozen and sent to the main milk bank. The milk bank transports the milk to hospitals to feed premature or sick babies.

Donors are tested for diseases before any milk is accepted. They are not permitted to smoke tobacco, use illegal drugs or drink too much alcohol. Lisa Baur gets something very special in return for the milk she gives: satisfaction.