HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — More help is now on the way for hungry babies across the state of Arkansas.
We showed you when the state's first breast milk bank opened last fall and now, more donation centers are opening across the state.
The National Park Medical Center's new milk depot could make a difference for families in Arkansas.
"We're ecstatic about it because that's an amazing thing for moms to do," said Ashley York with National Park Medical Center Maternal Child Services.
The milk depot is a donation site for mothers with excess breast milk.
"Breast milk is not just [for] nutrition, it's actually a medication now that they're using in NICUs for the extremely premature infants and the critically ill infants," York explained.
Even though they're just getting started, York said that she hopes to keep their freezer full.
"As you can see now it's empty and we would love for our donors to fill it so we can get this milk, and much-needed medicine to these NICUs," she added.
Once it is full, they'll send the milk to UAMS to be pasteurized, and from there, it will go to NICUs around the Natural State.
"The mothers that are donating their milk, they're very, very happy that their milk gets to stay and help other babies here in Arkansas," said, Dr. Misty Virmani, UAMS Milk Bank Executive Director.
Luckily, the depots just keep on coming and Dr. Virmani said the state currently has nine.
"It's so important for all of us to recognize that breastfeeding and human milk is incredibly important not just to the baby's health. That's my focus as a neonatologist but [also] on maternal health," she explained.
Dr. Virmani said UAMS orders several hundred bottles of breast milk every week to keep its NICU supplied.
"We are working on sending milk to Baptist Little Rock and to Arkansas Children's Hospital. You know, trying to target the sickest and most vulnerable babies as the first targets," she described.
Now, they're looking to grow even more.
"It is an important tool and it's one that we are developing the capacity to help make a really beneficial impact for our communities and better support," she added.
Some of the milk depots that are already open are located in Conway, Mena, Stuttgart, Rogers, Monticello, Jonesboro, Batesville, and Clinton. There are also two more in the works.
For more information including instructions on how to donate, please click here.