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 that their donations to Susan G. Komen for the Cure has surpassed $100,000 since October 2010. The most current donation for breast milk collected through Helping Hands Milk Bank (HHMB) in the third quarter of 2011 exceeded $41,000.
Breast milk that is donated through HHMB is used by Prolacta 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 HMF made from 100% human milk for premature infants in the NICU who are born weighing between 500 and 1250g. Prior to Prolact+ H2MF, cow milk-based HMF was the only option neonatologists had for premature infants in the NICU.
A 2010 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics concluded that when Prolact+ H2MF was added to human milk, the odds of developing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) was reduced by 77% in premature infants weighing between 500 and 1250g at birth, when compared to infants receiving human milk fortified with cow milk-based HMF or, when supply or mother's own milk was insufficient, preterm infant formula. NEC is a dangerous intestinal condition that often affects extremely preterm infants, in which the intestinal tissue disintegrates1 (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 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 milk (http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/Human-Donor-Milk-Lower-Risk-for-Premature-Babies.aspx).
As part of the agreement between the two organizations, Prolacta donates one dollar to Susan G. Komen, for every ounce of qualified breast milk collected through HHMB. 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 renewed to extend through April 30, 2012 with another minimum commitment of $25,000.
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.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world through ground-breaking research, community health outreach, advocacy and programs in more than 50 countries with a special focus on low-resource and developing nations. Visit komen.org. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.
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.