Business & Tech
Breast Milk Donations Available at Oak Park Medical Practice
Dr. Paul Schattauer, who runs the Green Medical Practice in Oak Park, is the first practice to accept human milk donations. He said the benefits are much greater than formula and that it could help babies in need, especially those born prematurely.
A few years ago, Dr. Paul Schattauer opened his Green Medical Practice in Oak Park, focusing on natural remedies, sustainability and wellness and prevention.
He’s continued that concept by becoming the first Illinois medical practice to accept donations of human milk, something Schattauer hopes will save babies’ lives and shift attitudes on breast milk versus formula.
Mothers may donate milk after passing a screening that includes a blood test. The milk is then processed and pasteurized at a milk bank in Indiana before it’s distributed. Much of the milk is intended for use in hospital’s neonatal intensive care units(NICUs), where premature babies whose mothers can’t produce enough milk are often treated.
“Human milk nutrition is superior to any other artificial nutrition,” Schattauer said. ”There’s overwhelming evidence.”
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He’s worked with Summer Cassidy, the lactation specialist at Lutheran General Hospital and one of the founders of the Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes. That non-profit organization purchased the freezer in Schattauer’s office, where the milk is stored before it’s sent to Indiana. The goal is to eventually raise enough money to open a milk bank in the Chicago area.
Lutheran General’s NICU has also been a milk depot, and Schattauer said there are already signs of success in using human milk for premature babies instead of formula. For example, cases of Necrotizing Enterocolitis, a common condition in premature babies that disintegrates the digestive system, have dropped 30 percent.
“What’s exciting is this is going to put pressure on other NIUs," Schattauer said. "Once you shift the paradigm in the NICU, in my mind it can’t help but shift down into the pediatricians and the moms. To me it’s the beginning of a shift in attitude."
He worked in another practice for about 23 years before opening his own, and over time he said he's seen the benefits of breast milk.
"It’s a no-brainer," he said. "It’s similar to the blood-banking system. You can save lives."
LEARN MORE at the Green Medical Practice website.
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