Pam,
   Donor milk from milk banks is mostly mature milk. We take milk from  
babies up to one year of age.
Preemie milk is processed separately from mature milk, and dispensed  
to NICUs for their smallest babies. However, most of the milk donated  
to milk banks is mature milk. For preemie babies, donor milk (and  
formula) is fortified with a balance of components that preemies need,  
but the milk is most often mature milk. We just don't have enough  
preemie moms with more milk than their own babies need, and when we  
do, the milk is only considered "preemie" milk for about 4 weeks after  
the birth, no matter how early the baby arrives.

So, in short donor milk used in NICUs is mature milk, the issue is  
whether the NICU will allow milk from your daughter who has not been  
screened and the milk is unpasteurized. Hospitals in our area (New  
England) do not allow milk from other moms, my impression is that that  
is pretty standard in most places in the US, but there may be  
individual places that allow it.

Hope this helps clarify. Hope your daughter in law can hold onto these  
babies a bit longer.

Naomi

>
> My question is:   Can the preemie twins  safely take donor milk from  
> my daughter who is nursing a 6 month old and willing to donate. In  
> other words, is mature milk safe at all for preemies? And will the  
> NICU even allow it?


------------------------------------------
Naomi Bar-Yam Ph.D.
Executive Director
Mothers' Milk Bank of New England

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617-527-6263
www.milkbankne.org
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