Officials reflect on first 'milk bank' in Arkansas

KUAR | By Ronak Patel

Last year, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences opened the state’s first milk bank, which provides breast milk for mothers of newborns.

During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers passed Act 225 to create the milk bank. In an interview with Arkansas PBS, Rep. Aaron Pilkington, Republican of Knoxville, and a sponsor of the bill, said the bill was needed because Arkansas was having to buy milk from other states.

“We had to go to either Texas or Michigan. What’s even crazier is we had mothers who wanted to donate their milk and we’re sending it to other states,” he said.

Misty L. Virmani, M.D., executive medical director of the UAMS Milk Bank, said it is important that the state has a milk bank.

Officials reflect on first 'milk bank' in Arkansas

UAMS.Edu/UAMS

UAMS, NIH Study Finds Consoling, Other Techniques Better Than Drug Therapies for Newborns with Opioid Withdrawal

By David Robinson

LITTLE ROCK — A groundbreaking nationwide clinical trial in which the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) played a key role has confirmed an effective way to wean newborns from opioid withdrawal symptoms that substantially reduces hospital stays and the traditional use of drug therapies.

Using an “Eat, Sleep, Console” (ESC) care approach resulted in infants with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) being medically ready for discharge in nearly half the time and less likely to receive drug therapy compared to those receiving more traditional care, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study. The ESC care approach focuses on supporting infants and caregivers in the essential functions of early infant life: eating, sleeping and consoling fussy infants.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was the first large-scale effort to compare the two approaches to opioid withdrawal used by hospital nurseries. Symptoms of withdrawal include tremors, excessive crying and irritability, and problems with sleeping and feeding. At least one newborn in the United States is diagnosed every 18 minutes with NOWS.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/05/01/uams-nih-study-finds-consoling-other-techniques-better-than-drug-therapies-for-newborns-with-opioid-withdrawal/

UAMS’ Jessica Snowden, M.D., said the study’s findings provide the first strong evidence needed to help end hospitals’ widely varying treatments of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.

6th Arkansas box unveiled where newborns can be safely surrendered

By REMINGTON MILLER

Arkansas now has six boxes where a newborn child can be dropped off by anyone not ready to care for a child.

On Sunday, an unveiling and blessing ceremony was held for the latest Safe Haven Baby Box which is located at Maumelle Fire Department Station 1, 2000 Murphy Drive. Other cities in Arkansas that have the infant safety devices are Benton, Jonesboro, Rogers and Springdale.

Monica Kelsey, CEO and founder of Safe Haven Baby Box, said in an interview that after being abandoned as an infant herself, she wanted to provide a place where babies could be safely surrendered.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/6th-arkansas-box-unveiled-where-newborns-can-be-safely-surrendered

An example of a safe haven baby box, with the devices installed at hospitals, fire stations and police stations across the county.

CREDIT SAFE HAVEN BABY BOX