Islamic lifesaving human milk donation model for small and sick preterm: Policy development

Premature birth predisposes preterm infants to life-threatening complications. Donor human milk is as effective as a mother's own milk when mothers cannot produce enough milk. In Islam, receiving donor human milk creates a milk kinship that imposes religious restrictions. Therefore, Muslim countries have made limited efforts to develop human milk donation policies that meet international standards and Islamic regulations.

To develop a health policy model about human milk donation for small and sick preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units in Jordan based on the CDC policy analysis framework and by adhering to Islamic rules.

Self-reporting questionnaires assessed the perceptions of 94 postpartum mothers and 96 health care providers regarding human milk donation. In addition, four structured interviews with religious scholars were conducted to assess policy religious legitimacy.

67% of mothers supported the establishment of a human milk donation model that adheres to religious and legal guidelines. Additionally, around 51.1% were willing to donate milk, and 47.9% would use donor human milk for their infants. Similarly, 59.4% of health care providers supported such a model, and 59.4% considered drafting health policies as a key facilitator, whereas 71.9% considered religious restrictions the main barrier. Finally, religious scholars value the existence of human milk donation policies, emphasizing the importance of documentation to ensure compliance with Islamic rules.

The "Islamic Lifesaving Human Milk Donation Model" aims to improve milk donation based on Islamic rules, serving as a benchmark for Muslim communities.