There are thousands of babies and thousands of families who benefit because of the generous donors
A new piece of technology in Bronson’s Mothers’ Milk Bank is helping to ensure babies in Bronson Children’s Hospital’s NICU are getting the right amount of nutrition to help them grow.
The Miris human milk analyzer provides details on the amount of calories, fat and protein in breast milk. By having this information, nutritionists can determine if milk needs to be fortified for babies in the NICU. “With being born prematurely, they are very fragile. They require additional nutrients that a term baby wouldn’t require,” says Afton Barrett, a clinical dietician in the NICU. “Having the machine has been amazing for us because we have been able to help a lot of babies, ensuring they get the nutrients needed to grow and thrive.”
One of those babies is Amir Lee Coady, who was born early, weighing just 2 lbs. 3 ounces. At first he was receiving fortified breast milk, but his digestive system didn’t respond well to it. His mom, Faiza Riady, provided a sample of her breast milk to be analyzed. "The analysis showed we needed to add some protein which is very common, but we didn't need to add fortifier, so we were able to fine-tune just what Amir needed," says Barrett. The results also showed the breast milk had enough calories. The findings were a relief for Amir's mom. “That’s really great technology," says Raidy, who wants to ensure Amir gets all the benefits of breast milk. “It’s going to help him for sure to grow. It’s good for his brain and his muscles. It’s the littlest thing I can give to my Amir to get him home from the NICU.”
Not only is the analyzer used to help babies at Bronson Children’s Hospital, but it supports those babies throughout the state and country who receive donor milk through Bronson Mothers’ Milk Bank. “We are able to provide the analysis to hospitals that are receiving the milk, so they know the nutrition content of the milk they are receiving,” explains Verna Roberts, Milk Bank pasteurization coordinator.
She’s thankful for those who give to Bronson Health Foundation to support the Mothers’ Milk Bank. “There are thousands of babies and thousands of families who benefit because of the generous donors throughout our area,” says Roberts.
