Washington Regional is the only hospital in the region with an Infant Nutrition Lab, also known as a centralized milk preparation room or milk lab. Many times, premature babies or babies with medical conditions are unable to breastfeed while in the NICU. The Infant Nutrition Lab supplies these babies with mother’s milk, donor milk, or fortified milk and formula. 

The Nutrition Lab uses special tools to prepare feedings: 

• magnetic stir base to mix the milk without manipulating or shaking it
• syringes and special bottling tools to eliminate waste 
• antimicrobial bead bath used to thaw milk without using water
• scanning system to track the milk or formula and ensure proper recipe based on feeding order from the doctor