Miracle Milk® Stroll Brings Human Milk to Fragile Babies

LITTLE SILVER, N.J. - April 1, 2016 - PRLog -- The Best for Babes® Foundation announces the third annual Miracle Milk® Stroll to raise awareness of the lifesaving power of human milk in the NICU.  On May 13 - 15, 2016, thousands of parents, friends, families and community members will gather in North American parks, malls, and streets to help save lives of premature babies.

Feeding premature, fragile and compromised babies human milk - whether from the mother or a donor - has been shown to reduce the risk of  necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by 79%. NEC is an excruciating bowel inflammation affecting 5,000 North American babies every year and resulting in 500 deaths. NEC may require multiple surgeries, result in organ failure, months-long neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stays, lifelong complications. It can cost  $200,000 to over $1,000,000 to treat per child.

In its most recent policy statement on breastfeeding and human milk, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states unequivocally that "the potent benefits of human milk are such that all preterm infants should receive human milk…If mother's own milk is unavailable despite significant lactation support, pasteurized donor milk should be used."

"The AAP's policy is being ignored.  Despite an exponential increase in non-profit milk banks, 60% of the nation's NICUs do not use donor milk," says Jennifer Canvasser, who lost her son to NEC and is the founder of the NEC Society, "It's a tragedy that more parents, health care providers, medical directors and hospital administrators don't know about donor milk, HMBANA milk banks, or don't provide evidence-based infant feeding support."

"Our goal with this event is to create a nationwide consumer-driven platform to raise awareness, funds and milk donations to help make human and donor milk the standard of care in NICUs everywhere, provide NICU mothers with stellar support, and  help reduce suffering and deaths," says Best for Babes Co-Founder, Danielle Rigg. "Human Milk Saves Lives®. Together, we can  get more Miracle Milk® to more fragile babies."

The Miracle Milk Stroll will take place in more than 100 sites across the U.S. and Canada. Nonprofit partners include Best for Babes, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA),  NEC Society, La Leche League USA, United States Lactation Consultants Association (USLCA) and the Canadian Baby-Friendly Initiative.  This national event is generously sponsored by Moby, Earth Mama Angel Baby and Mamava, with support from Britax and My Brest Friend. The Education partner is KellyMom.com.

To register, donate, or learn more, visit:  www.miraclemilk.org.

Best for Babes is the only mainstream, independent non-profit dedicated to changing the cultural perception of breastfeeding and donor milk and to removing the barriers-the Breastfeeding Booby Traps® - that prevent millions of moms annually from making informed, healthy infant feeding decisions and realizing their personal goals.