Perspectives of healthcare workers on the acceptability of donor human milk banking in Southwest Nigeria.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101251562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1746-4358 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 17464358 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Int Breastfeed J Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: [London] : BioMed Central, 2006-

Milk Banks* ; Health Personnel*/psychology ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice* ; Milk, Human* ; Attitude of Health Personnel*; Humans ; Nigeria ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Breast Feeding/psychology

Background: The World Health Organization prioritizes Mother's Own Milk (MOM) or donor human milk (DHM) when MOM is unavailable or insufficient. It is also important for healthcare workers (HCWs) to provide adequate support, information, and education to mothers to help improve their milk production and breastfeeding experience. DHM is scarce in developing countries, prompting a need for understanding health workers' perspectives.
Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2021 in Ekiti State, Nigeria, examined the knowledge and attitudes of HCWs regarding human milk banking. A sample of 321 participants from government-owned hospitals completed a self-administered questionnaire.
Results: Of the 321 participants (84.7% response rate), the majority were females (69.2%), aged 30-39 (32.1%), Christian (91.9%), and employed in tertiary hospitals (91.9%). About 65% of the HCWs believe that HMB is a safe practice and 42% believe that the DHM has the same quantity of immunological factors as fresh human milk. While 80.4% displayed good DHM knowledge, attitudes varied. The HCWs profession influenced their attitudes and a higher proportion of all female HCWs (71%), except for health assistants (65.4%), expressed willingness to donate their breast milk if needed. Among males HCWs, the majority of those who were doctors (82.8%) and pharmacists (62.5%) expressed willingness to support their spouses to donate breast milk, and they also had higher acceptance of DHM for their infants. In all, more than 80% of the HCWs will encourage mothers to donate their milk and feed babies under their care with DHM, but only 47% would accept DHM to feed their own children. Health assistants had less favourable views, and negative perceptions were linked to the internet and media sources.
Conclusions: The study highlights health workers' awareness of DHM but indicates a reluctance to fully embrace it, especially among health assistants. The need for targeted education programs, to address knowledge gaps and negative perceptions, is crucial for the successful implementation of human milk banks in Nigeria. Overcoming challenges, such as safety concerns and sociocultural influences, requires focused efforts from policymakers and healthcare institutions.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2013 Oct;57(4):535-42. (PMID: 24084373)
J Perinat Educ. 2015;24(2):102-9. (PMID: 26957893)
Pediatrics. 2005 Mar;115(3):e269-76. (PMID: 15687416)
J Perinat Med. 2013 Mar;41(2):129-31. (PMID: 23241582)
Indian J Psychol Med. 2013 Apr;35(2):121-6. (PMID: 24049221)
Adv Nutr. 2011 May;2(3):225-43. (PMID: 22332055)
Breastfeed Med. 2012 Feb;7(1):29-37. (PMID: 21718117)
Int Breastfeed J. 2011 Feb 22;6:3. (PMID: 21342496)
Heliyon. 2022 Nov 18;8(11):e11747. (PMID: 36468118)
J Perinatol. 2011 Sep;31(9):593-8. (PMID: 21330996)
J Public Health Res. 2023 Sep 2;12(3):22799036231197190. (PMID: 37667681)
Int Breastfeed J. 2017 Feb 2;12:6. (PMID: 28167998)
J Perinatol. 2017 May;37(5):469-474. (PMID: 27831549)
Matern Child Nutr. 2019 Oct;15(4):e12842. (PMID: 31099159)
Int Breastfeed J. 2020 May 11;15(1):37. (PMID: 32393361)
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007 May;92(3):F169-75. (PMID: 16556615)
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jun 20;6:CD002971. (PMID: 29926476)
Int Breastfeed J. 2018 Nov 14;13:47. (PMID: 30473721)
Am J Public Health. 2008 Jan;98(1):11-4. (PMID: 18048789)
J Hum Lact. 2016 May;32(2):221-8. (PMID: 26243756)
Pediatrics. 2005 Aug;116(2):400-6. (PMID: 16061595)
Eur J Pediatr. 2022 Jan;181(1):107-116. (PMID: 34216269)
Matern Child Nutr. 2024 Jun;20 Suppl 4:e13592. (PMID: 38318679)
J Hum Lact. 2008 Feb;24(1):69-76. (PMID: 18281358)
Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;103(2):599S-605S. (PMID: 26791179)
Children (Basel). 2022 Aug 05;9(8):. (PMID: 36010063)
Pediatrics. 2021 Feb;147(2):. (PMID: 33483451)
Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2013 Nov;98(6):F539-41. (PMID: 23867707)
J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jan;109(1):137-40. (PMID: 19103335)

Date Created: 20241006 Date Completed: 20241006 Latest Revision: 20241008

20241008

PMC11456233

10.1186/s13006-024-00678-1

39370513