Changing perspectives of medical staff after Human Milk Bank opening. A single-center retrospective study of a tertiary neonatal unit.

Abstract

Breast milk is an exceptional source of nutrients for neonates, delivering a unique composition of bioactive ingredients such as immunoglobulins, hormones and oligosaccharides. Our research aimed to understand the attitude of medical staff towards milk donation and its use in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and to determine the influence the milk bank has had on the feeding practices of our patients after the introduction of local Human Milk Bank (HMB). Twelve closed-question questionnaires were distributed among employees from the Department of Neonatology and Obstetrics before and after (identical set of questions) the implementation of the HMB. The attitudes of staff towards different aspect of milk banking were recorded. We obtained 67 fully answered questionnaires in 2019 and 48 questionnaires in 2021. After comparing the responses, the analysis of how staff's attitudes have changed was performed. As a second step, four hundred sixty-eight neonates born consecutively in December 2018 (N.=171) and then in December 2019 (N.=297), before and after the HMB introduction, respectively, participated in the study at the Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland. Patients' medical charts were retrospectively analyzed. Since the assemblage of the HMB, there has been a significant improvement in the staff's attitude towards the use of donor milk (DM) (68.7% before, 93.8% after HMB) and its safety (65.7% before, 97.9% after HMB). There was also a significant increment in feeding newborns using breast milk compared to formula milk. HMB allows for the collection of donor milk, matching mother's-own-milk by gestational age and stage of lactation, ensuring adequate composition for the targeted nutritional requirements of premature infants. These findings support the relevance of our study, highlighting the importance and benefits of expanding HMB worldwide and increasing education for mothers and medical staff regarding donor milk.