MONROVIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prolacta Bioscience, the first and only company to offer Human Milk Fortifier (HMF) made from 100% human breast milk for critically ill premature infants, has announced an additional financial donation of over $38,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for breast milk collected through Helping Hands Milk Bank (HHMB) in the past three months. This brings the contributions to Komen for the Cure to nearly $75,000 from Prolacta in the past 12 months.
As part of the agreement between the two organizations, Prolacta donates one dollar to Komen, per every ounce of qualified breast milk collected through HHMB. Breast milk that is donated through HHMB is used to make human milk-based nutritional products for critically ill, premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Premature babies have increased nutritional needs above what can be provided by their mother’s milk or donor milk alone, so the breast milk that is fed to them needs to be fortified with added nutrients. Prolacta’s Prolact+ H2MF® is the first and only commercially available human milk fortifier made from 100% human milk for premature infants in the NICU born weighing 1250 grams or less at birth.
The original agreement between Prolacta and Komen called for a minimum annual contribution of $25,000 to support the fight against breast cancer. This agreement between the two organizations was recently renewed to extend through April 30, 2012 with another minimum commitment of $25,000. Due to the increased awareness of breast milk benefits for premature infants in the NICU, and the resulting generosity of breast milk donors, Prolacta expects to exceed $100,000 in annual contributions to Komen in the coming year.
The correlation between breastfeeding and a reduced risk of breast cancer in women created a natural synergy for Prolacta and Komen to partner. Prolacta’s donations help Komen fund innovative research and life-saving community outreach projects. Komen is the boldest community fueling the best science and making the biggest impact in the fight against breast cancer.
The current standard practice in the NICU uses cow milk-based products for human milk fortification. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics has demonstrated that for very low-birth-weight preterm infants in the NICU, born weighing less than 1250 grams at birth, a completely human breast milk-based diet decreases the incidence of the dangerous intestinal condition necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and surgeries related to NEC, which can be life-threatening1 (http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(09)01085-3/abstract).
Additionally, a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study recently showed that extremely premature babies fed human donor milk are less likely to develop NEC, than babies fed a standard premature formula (often referred to as preterm infant formula) derived from cow's milk. The study was the first of its kind to compare the risk of developing NEC and requiring NEC surgery among premature infants on an exclusively human milk diet versus those fed preterm infant formula derived from cow’s milk (http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Human-Donor-Milk-Lower-Risk-for-Premature-Babies.aspx).
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which is now the world’s largest breast cancer organization and the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer with more than $1.9 billion invested to date. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
About Prolacta
Prolacta Bioscience, Inc. (www.prolacta.com) is a life science company dedicated to improving quality of life by Advancing the Science of Human MilkTM. Prolacta creates specialty formulations made exclusively from human milk for the nutritional needs of critically ill, premature infants in neonatal intensive care units. It is the first and only company to provide a human milk fortifier made from 100% human milk, Prolact+ H2MF. They operate a pharmaceutical grade processing plant and have designed and patented processes that enable them to make their one-of-a-kind life saving products. Prolacta is committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the most vulnerable infants through world-class research and innovative products.
1Sullivan S, Schanler RJ, Kim JH et al. An exclusively human milk-based diet is associated with a lower rate of necrotizing enterocolitis than a diet of human milk and bovine milk based products. J Pediatr. 2009:156(4):562-567.
CONTACT:
for Prolacta Bioscience
Loren Kosmont, 310-721-9444
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Women Health Hospitals Oncology Pharmaceutical Philanthropy Baby/Maternity Children Parenting Consumer Foundation Fund Raising
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