scholarly journals Extending the Reach of Human Milk Banking

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 232 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Kent

The banking of human milk is expanding rapidly in both high- and low-income countries. Most milk banks serve critically ill infants, including those who are born prematurely or have low birthweight. This commentary explores the potential for extending the reach of milk banking so that it also serves many infants who are not critically ill, but would benefit from human milk from women other than their own mothers.

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-26
Author(s):  
George Kent

The term “human milk” refers to breastmilk used for purposes other than feeding a mother’s own infant, usually to directly meet the needs of other women’s infants especially those who are critically ill. Historically, milk sharing has been done primarily through wet nursing, but human milk banking has been growing rapidly since the beginning of the twentieth century.  There are concerns because some banks operate in ways that are exploitative, unsanitary, or provide milk to people who use it for questionable purposes. There is a clear need for regulation of milk banking, not only to limit undesired practices but also to facilitate good practices. This essay suggests a framework for legislation that supports milk banks in achieving their goals while also ensuring that the public’s interests are served.


2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haixia Tu ◽  
Ping Li ◽  
Lianlian Zhu ◽  
Xiaozhen Quan ◽  
Shuli Fan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Donor human milk is the best alternative for preterm infants when their mother’s own milk is insufficient or unavailable. The development of human milk banks in China started late, and in most of these banks, the amount of donor human milk is insufficient for clinical demand. Moreover, many mothers are reluctant to use donor human milk due to safety concerns. It is important to understand the potential supply and demand of donor human milk before establishing a new human milk bank. This study aimed to understand women’s acceptance of human milk banking in Wenzhou, southeastern China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in three community health centers in Wenzhou, southeast China, in December 2020. Data were collected from 305 postpartum women selected through convenience sampling. Sociodemographic, perinatal and breastfeeding characteristics, awareness and knowledge of human milk banking and willingness to donate human milk, and to accept donor human milk were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore independent predictors of willingness to donate human milk and to accept donor human milk. Results Only 17% (52/305) of our participants had heard of human milk banking prior to this survey. The prevalence of willingness to donate human milk and use donor human milk in our study was 73.4% (224/305) and 44.6% (136/305), respectively. Employment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17, 4.50) and human milk banking knowledge (AOR 1.23; 95% CI 1.12, 1.35) were independent predictors of willingness to donate human milk. Monthly household income in the previous year (AOR 2.18; 95% CI 1.17, 4.06), awareness of human milk banking (AOR 2.41; 95% CI 1.24, 4.67) and knowledge of human milk banking (AOR 1.22; 95% CI 1.11, 1.35) were significantly associated with willingness to accept donor human milk. Conclusions In our study, awareness of human milk banks among women in the first year postpartum was low. More mothers were willing to donate human milk than to use donor human milk to feed their children. In our study, knowledge of human milk banking was a predictor of both willingness to donate human milk and willingness to use donor human milk. Programs with detailed information on human milk banking are needed to help mothers improve their knowledge and increase acceptance of human milk banking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 354-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Langland

In early twentieth-century Brazil the proponents of human milk banking considered this development to signal the end of wet nursing and the start of a whole new day, one altogether better for the paid donors of human milk, their children, and the children in need of human milk. But wet nursing persisted alongside the new human milk banks for most of the twentieth century. Moreover, as this paper argues, the organizers and directors of milk banks drew on and constructed ideas about wet nursing, and about the generations of poor Afro-Brazilian women who had performed this labor, in the design and operation of the first milk banks.


2021 ◽  
pp. 089033442110044
Author(s):  
Yasmin Jahan ◽  
Sohel Rahman ◽  
Tasdidaa Shamsi ◽  
Atiqur sm-Rahman

Background Human milk banks play an essential role by providing human milk to infants who would otherwise not be able to receive mother’s milk. Study aim To determine the opinions and attitudes among possible donor mothers regarding human milk banks in one rural region in Bangladesh. Methods A prospective, cross-sectional study following a probability type of stratified cluster sampling technique was used. Included in the study ( N = 121) were mothers aged 20–49 years, with at least one child, who was currently lactating or had breastfed her child, and who resided in the rural community of Bangladesh where the study was conducted. Data were collected through a 21-item, close-ended questionnaire and a face-to-face interview conducted by the researcher at each participant’s home. Results Among the participants, 98.3% ( n = 119) said that they had not heard about human milk banks before speaking with the researchers. Most participants (71.9%, n = 87) said would obtain human milk from milk banks if necessary, but 28% ( n =34) of mothers indicated that they would not receive milk from a milk bank, even if it was necessary for their children. Only 8.3% ( n = 10) said human milk banks were not appropriate according to Islam and 99.2% ( n = 120) did not know about the acceptance of human milk banking practices in Bangladesh. Conclusions For those with religious concerns, a framework for both the donors and recipients can be established. It can be recommended that health education through healthcare personnel (midwives, nurses, gynecologists, pediatricians, and other health professionals) and religious leaders may strengthen the belief and increase awareness among family members about milk banking practices.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256435
Author(s):  
Eva Kontopodi ◽  
Sertac Arslanoglu ◽  
Urszula Bernatowicz-Lojko ◽  
Enrico Bertino ◽  
Maria Enrica Bettinelli ◽  
...  

Background Provision of donor human milk is handled by established human milk banks that implement all required measures to ensure its safety and quality. Detailed human milk banking guidelines on a European level are currently lacking, while the information available on the actual practices followed by the European human milk banks, remains limited. The aim of this study was to collect detailed data on the actual milk banking practices across Europe with particular emphasis on the practices affecting the safety and quality of donor human milk. Materials and methods A web-based questionnaire was developed by the European Milk Bank Association (EMBA) Survey Group, for distribution to the European human milk banks. The questionnaire included 35 questions covering every step from donor recruitment to provision of donor human milk to each recipient. To assess the variation in practices, all responses were then analyzed for each country individually and for all human milk banks together. Results A total of 123 human milk banks completed the questionnaire, representing 85% of the European countries that have a milk bank. Both inter- and intra-country variation was documented for most milk banking practices. The highest variability was observed in pasteurization practices, storage and milk screening, both pre- and post-pasteurization. Conclusion We show that there is a wide variability in milk banking practices across Europe, including practices that could further improve the efficacy of donor human milk banking. The findings of this study could serve as a tool for a global discussion on the efficacy and development of additional evidence-based guidelines that could further improve those practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sr. Moncy Francis francis ◽  
Dr. Bimla rani

Background: Breastfeeding is considered as the best practice which results in optimum growth and development of infants. According to WHO and UNICEF, donor’s human milk is considered as the best alternative in situations where the mother is not able to provide adequate breast milk due to unavoidable circumstances. Objective: The objective of the study is to assess the knowledge level of paediatric staff nurses regarding Human Milk banking and to find out the association of knowledge level with their demographic variables Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in a selected hospital of Idukki district in Kerala. The data were collected from 45 Paediatric staff nurses regarding human milk banking by convenience sampling method with the use of a structured questionnaire. Results: The data results revealed that 50% of samples belonged to the age group 19 to 27 and 28 to 36 years; the majority of the samples (72%) were Christians; half of the samples (58%) were graduates; and majority of them (62%) were housewives. Concerning the level of knowledge, 15.5% of them had poor, 69% had average and 15.5% had a good level of knowledge regarding essential newborn care.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 854-857
Author(s):  
Lewis A. Barness ◽  
Peter R. Dallman ◽  
Homer Anderson ◽  
Platon Jack Collipp ◽  
Buford L. Nichols ◽  
...  

The experience of Finnish workers, as well as that of others, shows that the banking of heattreated and frozen human milk is a practical and safe means of feeding low-birth-weight newborn infants. The continuous and exclusive use of human milk is associated with a low incidence of infection and with a rate of survival which is among the highest reported.4 The rate of growth and weight gain is also considered satisfactory, although there is some controversy about whether weight gain is quite as rapid as in formula-fed infants.28 Long-term studies should be carried out to see if these infants grow and develop as well, or better than, those on formula feedings. It is still uncertain whether banked human milk will prove sufficiently superior to formula with respect to its nutritional and immunologic characteristics to compensate for the difficulties of maintaining bacteriologic control and to warrant the cost of setting up and running a milk bank for premature infants. At this time, the Committee considers it optimal for mothers of low-birth-weight newborn infants to collect their milk for feeding their own infants fresh milk.29 Once home, the mothers can freeze the expressed milk and organize for transportation of samples on a regular basis. However, since this procedure will be impossible or impractical for many infants, bacteriologically safe milk from a donor seems a reasonable alternative for these infants.


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