DAYTON, Ohio -- August is National Breastfeeding Month and The Children's Medical Center of Dayton wants mothers to know their breast milk could help more than just their own children.

The donor milk depot at Dayton Children's is the regional collection stie for the Mothers' Milk Bank Of Ohio. The NICU at the hospital uses donor breast milk for infants weighing less than 1,500 grams or infants that still need special care.

"A mother's milk is definitely the first choice, but if it can't be used, donated milk is the next best option,"said Mari Jo Rosenbauer, RNC, lactation consultant for the Regional Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit.

Dayton Children's became a collection stie for the Mothers' Milk Bank Of Ohio in the spring of 2006 and began using donated breast milk for low-weight infants in November of that year.

"As a collection site, we accept all the donations for this region," Rosenbauer said. "When we get enough donations, the milk is taken to Columbus, where it is pasteurized and distributed to hospitals statewide that use donor milk for low-weight or at-risk infants."

42 babies locally have received donor milk at Dayton Children's Medical Center. Rosenbauer said there have been no reports of disease transmission from donor milk to an infant and there are no other known risks.