AKRON, Ohio – Akron Children’s Hospital is partnering with Columbus-based OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank to open a breast milk drop location at the hospital’s Kay Jeweler’s Pavilion, located at 1 Perkins Square.
The collection point houses a freezer, which stores the donated milk until it can be transferred to the milk bank in Whitehall. It’s the first milk drop in Summit County, according to a hospital news release.
The milk bank relies on donations from healthy, lactating women to provide milk for infants in need, according to the hospital.
“We are thrilled to be opening this new milk drop to make donating even easier,” milk bank Outreach Coordinator and Lactation Consultant Chris Smith said in the news release. “With this new milk drop, approved donors around Akron have a convenient location to drop off their donated milk. Pasteurized donor milk is liquid gold for babies who need it. In 2023 alone we distributed over 460,000 ounces of milk in 11 states – that’s 3,593 gallons. Just one ounce can feed a premature infant for three days, so every little bit helps.”
Donated breast milk is pasteurized, frozen and distributed by prescription to infants in need.
“At Akron Children’s, we specialize in caring for kids,” Akron Children’s Director of Breastfeeding Medicine Carly Dulabon said in the release. “This new milk drop-off site allows us to extend that care even further. By making it more convenient for mothers to donate breast milk, we’re supporting the health of the most vulnerable infants in our community and beyond. Together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of premature and ill infants who rely on donated breast milk for their growth and development.”
What to know if you are considering donating
To ensure the quality and safety of donated breast milk, interested donors must complete a screening interview via phone. The screening includes a medical and lifestyle history review, a signed medical release from the donor and physician, and consent to receive a blood test to screen for HIV, HTLV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis, according to the release.
Interested donors can email [email protected] or call 614-566-0630 to schedule a screening interview.
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