WV Breastfeeding is working to increase the supply and use of donor milk in West Virginia.

The majority of donor milk for WV babies comes from the Mid Atlantic Mothers Milk Bank in Pittsburgh, PA. 

“Nothing compares to a mother’s own milk. It is perfection and is always the goal. Donor milk can bridge gaps, provide protection against serious complications, and even serve as medicine, but it will never be everything that maternal milk is for a child. Unless breastfeeding is not feasible or is not the choice of the parent, donor milk should always be paired with lactation support, both when a baby is being cared for as an inpatient or at home – Mission and Core Values of the Mid Atlantic Mother’s Milk Bank.

Why Donor Milk Matters in West Virginia

1. Vital for Premature and Medically Fragile Babies

Preterm infants (especially those born before 3.3 lbs) face elevated risks of serious complications like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Compared to formula, donor human milk can reduce NEC risk by over 80%, as well as lower rates of sepsis and feeding intolerance—life-threatening threats for tiny babies.

2. Addresses Rural Healthcare Barriers

Parts of Appalachia—including many West Virginia counties—lack hospitals offering obstetric or neonatal care. Mothers in these areas often face long travel and delayed access to support. Donor milk provides critical, immediately available nutrition for NICU babies across these regions.

3. Provides Safe, Screened Nutrition

All donor milk through accredited milk banks undergoes rigorous donor screening, blood testing, pasteurization, and bacterial testing—ensuring the safest possible nutrition. The American Academy of Pediatrics and FDA strongly recommend using only processed donor milk rather than informal sharing due to safety concerns.

4. Community Support & Bridging Gaps

Even full-term or healthy babies sometimes receive donor milk as “bridge milk” while waiting for their parent’s supply to establish. Regional hospitals like Penn Highlands DuBois have seen donor milk use grow into a critical support service for families

5. First Donor Milk Depot in West Virginia

In June 2025, CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital in Charleston launched the state’s very first Donor Milk Depot, in partnership with the Mid Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank.

A Donor Milk Depot is a site that collects milk from local approved donors for a milk bank.  The Depot maintains a freezer in a secured area and ships milk to the milk bank using prepaid shipping containers, or the milk is picked up by a courier.

A strong network of depots in WV would greatly benefit the state.  Raising milk banking awareness creates a culture where families know that pasteurized donor human milk is safe if their child needs it, and the donation is easy if they have more milk than their own baby will use.

Milk depots are a great first step to increasing the available supply of safe donor milk available for WV babies.  Interested in creating a Milk Depot in your community?  CONTACT US! We’ll put you in touch with others in the state to help make things happen! admin@wvbreastfeeding.org

Interested in becoming a milk donor?  https://midatlanticmilkbank.org/donate/