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Current and future use of donor human milk in hospitals: data from polish human milk banks
Małgorzata Witkowska-Zimny1,2, Melania Majewska3, Aleksandra Mołas4
1Department of Human Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 5 Chalubinskiego St., Warsaw, 02-004, Poland. mwitkowska@wum.edu.pl.
Background:
Donor human milk (DHM) is the recommended alternative when a mother's own milk is unavailable or insufficient, especially for preterm and ill infants. Poland has established a national network of non-profit, hospital-based human milk banks (HMBs) to ensure equitable access to DHM. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the development and activity of Polish HMBs between 2012 and 2024 and identifies future directions for the national human milk banking system. It evaluates trends in the number of HMBs, cooperation between HMBs and hospitals, donor numbers, milk volume, and recipient profiles to support equitable service planning and adaptation to new EU regulations recognising human milk as a Substance of Human Origin (SoHO).
Methods:
The study analysed retrospective data collected by the Human Milk Bank Foundation (HMBF) from all Polish HMBs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the number of milk banks, HMB-hospital cooperation, donor numbers, milk volume, and the number and types of recipients.
Results:
In 2024, Poland's HMB network included 16 non-profit, hospital-based banks supplying DHM to 83 hospitals. The average number of donors per HMB decreased over time, from 37 donors in the first bank in 2012 to an average of 20 donors per bank in 2023. This decline partly reflects the expansion of the HMB network rather than a reduction in donor engagement. From 2017 to 2024, over 30,000 L of milk were donated, and over 26,000 newborns received DHM. In 2023 and 2024, approximately 25% of preterm infants were DHM recipients in Poland-however, variability in hospital eligibility criteria and a decreasing donor-per-bank ratio represent systemic challenges.
Conclusion:
Poland's HMB model demonstrates how coordinated policy, NGO involvement, and public funding can ensure equitable access to DHM. To meet growing demand and align with EU SoHO regulations, national guidelines should be expanded, eligibility criteria standardised, and the milk bank system further professionalised.
Clinical Trial Number:
Not applicable.
