Human Milk Bank in Newton Celebrates Milestone

Just a year after it started processing milk to distribute, the Mothers' Milk Bank of New England in Newtonville recently celebrated a milestone for its facility and mothers across New England. 

Earlier this month, the human breast milk bank held a celebration to mark 100th batch of processed milk and the screening of its 400th donor. 

The Newtonville milk bank and processing center, which is located at the  on Nevada Street, was founded in 2006 and first opened in 2010. By 2011, the processing center was finished and certified in July 2011 by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, according to the organization's website.

The center acts as a place where mothers can apply to receive milk for their newborn babies if, for some reason, they cannot produce the milk themselves. The milk is also donated to various hospitals around New England to be used in neo-natal intensive care units. The organization charges about $4.50 for an ounce of milk, according to an article recently published by the Associated Press.

Donors can apply to drop off milk at the center, where it is processed for distribution. According to the AP article, the screening for potential donors is similar to blood donation screening. 

The Newtonville milk bank is the only facility of its kind in New England, and one of just a dozen in North America, the AP reported.

The non-profit Mothers' Milk Bank of New England also recently expanded to include a drop-off point in Hanover, as featured in a recent interview on WGBH.

More information on donating milk and purchasing milk is available through the Mothers' Milk Bank of New England website.