Erlanger Helps Premature and At-Risk Babies Receive Donor Milk

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends pasteurized donor human milk be given to premature infants when a mother’s own milk cannot be used. Because donated mother’s milk has life-saving benefits for at-risk and premature infants, there is a critical need for it in Tennessee NICUs. Through our partnership with Mother’s Milk Bank Southeast, Erlanger assists with this need by serving as a donor milk depot.

In 2025, Erlanger ranked highest in total ounces of milk collected for the milk bank. Combined, Erlanger East and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger contributed nearly 77,000 ounces, or 22% of the year’s total milk collection (add link to press release) in Tennessee, which means one in every four ounces of milk collected in the state came through our milk bank efforts.

Learn more about the benefits of breast milk donation and human milk banking.