Provide names of other journalists involved.
Beth Harpaz, Editor
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
25-Apr-11
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The demand for donated breast milk has always increased, as has supply. Last year, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America dispensed more than 1.8 million ounces, up from 400,000 ounces 10 years ago. But the association’s president says milk banks are experiencing unusually low levels. They put out a call in early 2011 asking more mothers to donate so the banks can keep up with demand. Part of the demand is coming from hospitals, the other part is from parents. The story goes into why one mother decided to donate nearly 8 gallons of her breast milk. I spoke with one mother who used donated milk, but stopped once her health insurance no longer covering it. And I interviewed a mother who opted for “informal sharing” to avoid the cost associated with purchasing donated milk. Milk banks don’t sell the milk, but they pass the costs of donor screenings, pasteurization and transportation fees onto the customer. Because of this, some mothers informally share their milk. Informal sharing means mothers who have extra milk give it away for free. In December 2011, the FDA released a statement calling informal sharing between mothers to be unsafe because it’s not pasteurized. This was in response to the growing popularity of “Eats on Feets,” an organization that is using Facebook to connect mothers who have extra milk with mothers who need it.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used the HMBANA website, the US Dept. of HHS report “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” statements from the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee, and Facebook to complete this story.
Explain types of human sources used.
In-person interview with a milk donor. I also accompanied her on a drop-off. I conducted phone interviews with the president of the milk banking association, a donor recipient and a “informal sharer.” I connected with the informal sharer via Facebook, and we then scheduled a phone interview.
Results:
I am not aware of any results.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
I had one correction. After publication, Valerie Githinji wrote to tell me “administrator” wasn’t accurate to describe her position at Hocking College. It was changed to, “Githinji, who works in Student Affairs at Hocking College…”
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Be persistent in finding someone that represents all aspects of your story. I struggled to find a mother who received informally shared milk to speak on the record. After several requests for interviews, I finally got a bite!