Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on a human milk bank

Abstract

Introduction: the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 led to the declaration of the state of sanitary alarm between March and June 2020 in Spain. The activity of human milk banks was affected during that period, making it necessary to implement new measures in order to promote milk donation and diminish said impact.Method and objective: the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the state of alarm decreed from March 14 to June 22, 2020 on the breastmilk bank at Hospital Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain, in comparison with the same period during the previous year.

Process of donating human milk from the milk bank in the city of Petrolina, PE

“…Thus, the lack of knowledge about virus transmission through human milk, travel limitations, and the insecurity of going to the hospital or receiving health professionals at home may have influenced this negative result. [26][27][28] Some milk banks abroad used strategies to maintain milk collection during the pandemic. Among them, the implementation of home collecting system of donated milk and campaigns for milk donation was directed to mothers with hospitalized children and to the external public, through social networks and other means of communication.…”

“…Among them, the implementation of home collecting system of donated milk and campaigns for milk donation was directed to mothers with hospitalized children and to the external public, through social networks and other means of communication. 26 In addition, information about the safety of donating milk was provided to donors and potential donors through phone calls, informative leaflets via e-mail, posts on Facebook and on the websites mentioning about the importance of breastfeeding in the midst of the pandemic. 29 These actions provided the maintenance of activities, the supply of milk banks, and the guarantee of supplying for neonatal units.…”