“Breast milk has many benefits and contains numerous antibodies and immune components that protect babies from disease and help build the immune system. It also contains unique active components that support the development of the brain and body — processes that are especially critical for premature babies and sick infants.
These components are absent from infant formula and exposure to formula may lead to severe intestinal illness and developmental harm,” explained Dr. Sharron Bransburg-Zabary, director of the national human milk bank of Magen David Adom (MDA).
“Breast milk, like a unit of blood, is a human tissue with no substitute. However, unlike blood, which serves the donor, breast milk contains a variety of unique active maternal components designed to support the child. Although milk from the bank is less active and less personalized than milk provided directly through breastfeeding or by the biological mother, most of its components survive the processing carried out by MDA’s national milk bank. The unique benefits of donor breast milk and the lack of any proper substitute reinforce the need for breast milk donations. Without these donations, it would not be possible to provide this vital milk to premature babies, newborns and medically vulnerable infants,” she added.
