Postpartum women’s views on human milk banking in a city in Southeast China: a cross-sectional survey

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.

“Donor milk banking: Improving the future”. A survey on the operation of the European donor human milk banks

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.

KNOWLEDGE ON HUMAN MILK BANKING AMONG PAEDIATRIC STAFF NURSES

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.

Attitudes and Views Concerning Human Milk Banking Among Mothers Residing in a Rural Region of Bangladesh

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.

The Revolution of Breast Milk: The Multiple Role of Human Milk Banking between Evidence and Experience—A Narrative Review

The review recalls the importance of breast milk and deepens the theme of human milk banking, a virtuous reality that is expanding all over the world but is still little known. In the last 15 years, modern biological technologies have crystallized the concept of uniqueness and irreproducibility of human milk, by establishing three new principles: first: human milk: a “life-saving” drug; second: human milk: the best food for preterm infants; and third: human milk: the main component of premature infant care. Our experience teaches us that human milk banking plays many roles that need to be known and shared.