The number of premature babies born in the Valley is higher than in many other parts of the state, according to a report by the nonprofit organization March of Dimes, increasing the demand for breast milk in our area. 

Officials at Mother's Milk Bank in Austin, the closest milk bank to the Rio Grande Valley, say at the end of 2021, they saw a 30% decline in milk donors. 

That decline is causing a growing concern for Kim Updegrove, executive director of Mother's Milk Bank, who says the stress and fatigue from the COVID-19 pandemic could be a reason for the lack of donations.

"That stress negatively impacts the ability to think about community needs, and sometimes all families can do is think about their own needs," Updegrove said. 

Still, one Valley hospital is helping fight the shortage of breast milk. Officials at DHR Health Women's Hospital in Edinburg say they're working to recruit as many milk donors as possible.  

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