Approximately 100 medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, officials from the Ministry of Health, and breastfeeding advocates from across Israel, convened at the Marcus National Blood Services Center in Ramla for a specialized conference on expanding breastmilk banking and promoting breastfeeding in Israel.
The event was spearheaded by Magen David Adom in partnership with the Association for Premature Babies in Israel, the Professor Liza Rubin Memorial Foundation for the Promotion of Breastfeeding and Breast Milk Use, and the Israeli Society for Breastfeeding Medicine.
The conference brought together international and local expertise on milk banking implementation. Dr. Sharon Unger, a neonatologist and director of Ontario’s Milk Bank in Canada, shared insights from Canadian milk banking operations. Dr. Kalanit Hershkovitz-Shaporan of Kaplan Medical Center presented findings from a working group that examined how to integrate breastmilk from MDA’s breastmilk bank into neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Dr. Dina Zimmerman from the Ministry of Health discussed the role of donor milk in national health strategy. Dr. Sharon Bransburg-Tsabari, director of MDA’s Sussman Family Foundation Human Milk Bank, outlined the advantages of exclusive breastmilk nutrition for infants. A panel discussion addressed the use of donor breastmilk for full-term newborns, moderated by Professor Arik Riskin, Dr. Arie Simmons, and Dr. Kalanit Hershkovitz-Shaporan.
In a particularly moving moment, MDA paramedic Ayala Chaimson shared her extraordinary experience of giving birth at home at just 25 weeks of pregnancy. She recounted delivering her baby herself and performing CPR on her son Lavi, who was born without a pulse, ultimately saving his life. During his time in the NICU, Lavi relied on donor breastmilk from MDA’s milk bank. Among those deeply affected by her story was Dr. Sinan Abu-Leil, director of Hadassah University Hospital – Ein Kerem’s trauma unit, who had treated Lavi upon his arrival at the hospital and throughout his stay in the NICU.
The conference, which honored the late Professor Liza Rubin, a pioneering advocate who championed the establishment of Israel’s national breastmilk bank, concluded with a guided tour of the Sussman Family Foundation Human Milk Bank, housed in the Marcus Blood Center. Established in 2018 through a collaboration between MDA and the Ministry of Health, the facility processes and distributes approximately 350 liters of breastmilk monthly to hundreds of premature infants in hospitals nationwide, as well as to babies whose mothers cannot provide milk.
“MDA views the breastmilk bank as a national responsibility and is dedicated to fostering partnerships that enhance the health of Israel’s premature and newborn infants,” remarked MDA Director-General Eli Bin.
“The conference provided an opportunity to envision the future of breastfeeding in Israel from a comprehensive, professional, and collaborative standpoint,” reflected Dr. Sharon Bransburg-Tsabari on the gathering. “Participants gained practical strategies for optimizing donor milk implementation in hospital settings. I’m grateful to all the professionals who attended, contributed, and remain committed to strengthening the vital connection between milk banks and promoting breastfeeding in Israel.”
