Nonprofit South Carolina breast milk bank opens

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) _ South Carolina’s first breast milk bank has opened in North Charleston.

The Post and Courier (http://bit.ly/1I8Poql) reports the new nonprofit Mother’s Milk Bank of South Carolina opened last week. The milk donated to the bank won’t be sold but will be distributed to neonatal intensive care units across the state. For now, the milk will only go to premature babies who weigh less than 3 pounds, 3 ounces. Premature babies are at a high risk for developing a disease that can destroy their intestines if they are fed instant formula. Breast milk offers a way to prevent the disease but can be costly.

Ten `milk deposits’ have been set up across the state for women to donate their excess breast milk. Some moms produce more milk than their babies need.