Donor Breast Milk for the Preterm Infant: Your Questions Answered!

Abstract

Expressed breast milk (EBM) is the gold standard of infant nutrition, but is not always available for use for preterm infants in the NICU setting. Donor breast milk (DBM) is often a preferred alternative for preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants when maternal milk is not available. This article discusses the composition of DBM, reviews its advantages compared to formula, discusses challenges related to its long-term use, and identifies strategies to utilize DBM in the context of total nutritional management of preterm and VLBW infants. We will use a framework of WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY to answer the questions: who gets DBM, why use DBM, where does DBM come from, what is in DBM, and when may DBM use be challenged.

Current Trends in Research on Human Milk Exchange for Infant Feeding

“…HME has a rich and diverse history in human societies throughout geographic locations and cultures (Hewlett & Winn, 2014; Hrdy, 1992; Konner, 2018). From the commodification of lactating bodies (see Boswell-Penc & Boyer, 2007; Castilho & Barros Filho, 2010; Cowling, Machado, Paton, & West, 2017; Fildes, 1988; Golden, 2001; Harrison, 2018; Jones-Rogers, 2017; Machado, 2017; Sussman, 1982; West & Knight, 2017; Winer, 2017; Wolf, 2001) to the emergence of lactoengineering (Boyer, 2010; Fentiman, 2009; Merlino-Barr & Groh-Wargo, 2019; Swanson, 2009), the methods, scale, and extent to which HME has been integrated into cultural, societal, national, and global institutions and policies vary widely (Cassidy et al, 2018; Palmquist, in press; Shaw & Bartlett, 2010).…”

Knowledge and Attitude of Nurses Working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on the Use of Human Donor Milk

“…Donor human milk is one of the best substitutes for feeding infants and premature neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) (Bertino et al, 2009). The use of donor milk is associated with biological and clinical benefits for the infant (Merlino-Barr & Groh-Wargo 2019;Hanson et al, 2016). Their application is recommended because these kinds of milk cannot be contaminated with cytomegalovirus (De Halleux et al, 2017;Lloyd et al, 2016).…”