Breastfeeding and Human Milk Donation. A brief report | Biomedgrid

Breastfeeding has long been recognized as an essential aspect of newborn care and breast milk is unanimously identified as a health opportunity for all newborns. Yet it remains a global challenge since decades of breastfeeding promotion, exclusive breastfeeding rates for the first 6 months of life remain low, around 40% globally [1] . If we refer to premature babies, the point of view has changed in the sense that these newborns are considered to be at high risk of incurring in (short and long term) negative consequences which are well known and described in relation to the absence of breast milk [2, 3, 4]. WHO and other global health leaders have recommended to increase the availability of milk banks to improve the procurement of donated human milk as a strategy for improving neonatal health and survival [5, 6]? In a policy brief entitled “Ensuring equitable access to human milk for all”, the donated milk is said to be part of the essential newborn care and that more is needed to ensure that all newborns, including the sick and vulnerable ones, have access to human milk [7] .