A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE ATTITUDE AND EXPERIENCES OF DONOR MOTHERS IN A HUMAN MILK BANK AT A TERTIARY HEALTHCARE CENTRE

Background- Of the 27 million babies born in India,3.5 million are preterm and 7.6 million with low birthweight, increasing the risk of mortality neonates.Human milk has the greatest impact on child survival.Everynewborn is unable to benefit from their mothers milk, because of maternal illness,death or lactational failure.Understanding donors experiences and attitude towards donation is important as it will help improve milk donation and motivate potential donors. Aim- The aim of this study is to describe the attitude and experiences of donor mothers in the Human Milk Bank(HMB). Methods- This is a descriptive study conducted in the HMB attached to a tertiary hospital with a time bound sample of 72 mothers who had donated milk atleast once. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data and appropriate tests of significance applied. Results- Mean age group of this study was 24.63 and the range was from 18 to 33 years.20% population was below 20 years of age.25% were primiparous and 75% were multiparous.55% mothers have completed their middle and high schooling.43% mothers belonged to Class 4 of the Modified KuppuswamyScale. Altruism was the main reason for milk donation followed by breast engorgement.There is significant correlation between education level of mother and knowledge about contraindications of donating HMB.Experiencing pain and discomfort during donation was more in primiparous women. Fear about affecting their own health due to frequently donating at HMB was more in primiparousmother. Inference- Educating mothers and creating awareness among them and their family members regarding HMB is important.Primiparous mothers are more apprehensive in donating milk and need more support and counseling.Establishment of collection centres in the communities will bridge the demand and supply gap in PDHM and ultimately reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity.