Exploring human milk donation: A cross-sectional study

To examine and describe the current practices and perspectives regarding human milk donation in Belgium.

A cross-sectional study was conducted, utilising an online survey distributed to women and their partners or co-parents.

Demographic and personal details and responses related to awareness, information resources, milk transfer, and donor-recipient and recipient-donor contact were obtained. We measured factors influencing the intention to donate and receive human milk (0-5 scale), attitudes toward human milk donation (1-4 scale) and donation practices (dichotomous responses). Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.

The analysis included 873 respondents. A surplus (4.6 ± 1.0) or shortage (3.9 ± 1.7) of milk is the primary factor influencing the intention to donate or receive human milk, reported by 88 % and 78 % of respondents, respectively. Most donations (85.7 %) occur through social media (50 %) and personal networks (47.6 %). Key perspectives of milk donation include healthcare providers' familiarity (3.7 ± 0.5), public awareness (3.6 ± 0.5), mandatory blood testing (3.5 ± 0.7), and donor screening (3.5 ± 0.6). Human milk banks are perceived as valuable resources (3.5 ± 0.6), while altruism (3.4 ± 0.6) is key to donating. There is broad support for making human milk accessible to all infants, not just those who are premature or ill (3.4 ± 0.6).

Personal attitudes and intentions shape informal, self-regulated milk donation. Healthcare providers should consider these perspectives when advising on milk donation practices.