Answer to Question 1
Preterm breast milk is well suited to meet a preterm infant's needs. During early lactation, preterm breast milk contains higher concentrations of protein and is lower in volume than term breast milk. The low milk volume is advantageous because preterm infants consume small quantities of milk per feeding, and the higher protein concentration allows for better growth. In many instances, supplements of nutrients specifically designed for preterm infants are added to the mother's expressed breast milk and fed to the infant from a bottle. When fortified with a preterm supplement, preterm breast milk supports growth at a rate that approximates the growth rate that would have occurred within the uterus.
Answer to Question 2
Similar to blood banks that collect blood from individuals to give to others in need, breast milk banks receive milk from lactating women who have an abundant supply to give to infants whose own mothers' milk is unavailable or insufficient. The women who donate breast milk are carefully screened to exclude those who smoke cigarettes, use illicit drugs, take medications (including high doses of dietary supplements), drink more than two alcoholic beverages a day, or have communicable diseases. The breast milk from several donors is pooled to ensure an even distribution of all components, pasteurized to destroy bacteria, checked for contamination, and frozen before being shipped overnight to hospitals, where it is dispensed by physician prescription.
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