Helping infants in North Dakota receive the vital nutrients they need

UnitedHealthcare donates $20,000 to regional milk banks to help medically-vulnerable babies in North Dakota get milk to grow strong and healthy.

November 29, 2022

UnitedHealthcare has donated $20,000 to the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies to help them purchase a new walk-in freezer. This local non-profit helps ensure medically vulnerable infants in Minnesota and across the upper Midwest have access to safely pasteurized, life-giving, donor human milk. These donations are especially critical when a mother’s milk is unavailable or in low supply. The Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies serves both metro and rural hospitals throughout the state, recruiting donors across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The new freezer will allow the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies to double their current capacity for storing milk donations, which are received frozen and must stay that way after pasteurization until donated. Donations are received from families with an excess milk supply and given to infants in need. These may include medically fragile or premature babies in hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), special care nurseries or other inpatient units.

Since starting in 2019, the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies has helped distribute more than half a million ounces of pasteurized donor human milk to infants. This milk serves as an important bridge for babies until their mother’s milk supply increases or as prescribed by a health provider.

With the recent formula shortage, an increased demand for donated milk has prompted the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies to seek larger quarters as well as expanded storage capabilities.

“We are honored to help the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies increase its capacity for safely storing donated milk and helping improve infant health outcomes for more families across Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota,” said Brett Edelson, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

This donation will help the Minnesota Milk Bank for Babies serve a greater number of infants in hospitals across Minnesota and the Dakotas.

For more information, please contact your UnitedHealthcare representative.