The second Italian human milk banks survey

Abstract

Background: In the latest decades some compelling evidence confirmed the substantial benefits of using human milk, especially for preterm infants [1][2][3][4][5]. Donor human milk is a valid alternative.Objective: This survey aimed to evaluate the activity of the human milk banks in Italy, analysing several items. Methods: The Italian Association of Donor Human Milk Banks (Associazione Italiana Banche del Latte Umano Donato, AIBLUD) was founded in 2005. It currently consists of 35 human milk banks (Figure 1), whose management should follow the Italian Guidelines. Among the goals of the association, scientific work plays a major role. After publication of the Italian Guidelines, the 2012 survey on Italian human milk banks also led to a nationwide improvement: some banks were established, others that were considered inactive were shut down [11]. In 2013 the Italian Ministry of Health published the national recommendations, based on the Italian Guidelines [12].Results: 91% of the banks (32/35) responded to this second survey. Table 2 shows the average number of hours per week dedicated to the milk bank activity. This data varies greatly among the banks, as it did in 2012. The majority of the banks keeps having approximately 6 hours a day of work Conclusion:This second survey gave AIBLUD and the Italian Ministry of Health important information on the Italian human milk banks, overcoming their difficulties and correcting some negative aspects.