Survey on attitude towards donor milk in certified baby-friendly hospitals in Japan

Abstract

 A questionnaire survey about donor milk and breast milk bank was conducted on baby-friendly hospitals（BFH）. Responses were obtained from 61 obstetricians and 77 pediatricians.

 Over 70％ of the obstetricians and over 80％ of the pediatricians knew the existence of breast milk banks; and also that donor milk is given to extremely premature infants and extremely-low-birth-weight infants in the hospitals. Limited to 55 pediatricians working at BFH with NICU, about 85％ had intention to administer donor milk from the breast milk bank to babies soon after birth, but on the other hand they concerned about insufficiency of information about milk collection, infection through donor milk, the preservation and transportation of donor milk, and how the baby’s mother would feel. They answered they can cooperate in posting information about breast milk bank and distributing leaflet in the hospitals.

 It is necessary to enhance transmission of information about donor milk and breast milk banks to medical staff working at NICU; and measures are awaited to enable administration of donor milk soon after birth without delay.