Setting Up a Donor Breastmilk Bank in a Neonatal Unit
Author Information
Author(s): Irene Coutsoudis, Miriam Adhikari, Nadia Nair, Anna Coutsoudis
Primary Institution: University of KwaZulu-Natal
Hypothesis
Can donor breastmilk be safely provided to infants in a resource-limited neonatal unit?
Conclusion
The study found that it is feasible to supply donor breastmilk to infants in a neonatal unit without any adverse events.
Supporting Evidence
- 191 infants were enrolled in the study, with 40 receiving donor breastmilk.
- No evidence of bacterial contamination was found in the analyzed samples.
- Adverse events were not observed in infants fed donor breastmilk.
Takeaway
This study shows that we can safely give donated breastmilk to sick babies in hospitals, which helps them get better.
Methodology
An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted on low birth weight infants in a neonatal unit over a 3-week period, collecting feeding and morbidity data.
Potential Biases
There may have been missed opportunities for prescribing donor milk due to staff not discussing it with mothers.
Limitations
The variability in hospital stay duration and the inability to control the type of feeds received by infants were significant limitations.
Participant Demographics
{"maternal_age_mean":26.51,"maternal_positive_HIV_status":100,"twin_delivery_percentage":22.5,"current_or_treated_TB_percentage":5.24,"current_or_treated_syphilis_percentage":3.1,"peripartum_complications_percentage":88.48,"caesarean_delivery_percentage":51.8,"gestational_age_median_weeks":32,"small_for_gestational_age_percentage":31.9,"infant_birth_weight_mean_kg":1.38,"duration_of_hospitalisation_median_days":22}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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