'I wish I'd had the option': views about donor human milk among parents with babies born moderate-late preterm

Abstract

When enough mother's own milk is not available, the benefits of pasteurised donor human milk (donor milk) are well-established for infants born very preterm (<32 weeks' gestation).1 Infants born moderate-to-late preterm (32–36 weeks' gestation) make up the majority of preterm births and frequently face challenges establishing breastfeeding,2 often necessitating the use of supplementary nutrition in the first weeks of life. While varied, the most common practice in Australia and New Zealand is to give infant formula.3 In other countries, particularly the USA, donor milk is used for some moderate to late preterm and term infants, but little evidence exists to inform care practices in these groups.4 Parental interest is likely one force driving practice change in donor milk use, however, little is known about Australian parents' views about donor milk. We conducted an exploratory survey of Miracle Babies Foundation members, the largest preterm birth support and advocacy group in Australia, who had babies born moderate to late preterm. The Lifeblood Human Research Ethics Committee approved the survey. The survey was advertised via the Miracle Babies Facebook page between January and March 2020. Parents were eligible if they had a baby that was born between 32 + 0 and 36 + 6 weeks' gestation. The survey asked about parents' experiences with feeding their baby and their perspectives on donor milk. Here we share their responses to prompt further discussions about the role of donor milk for moderate to late preterm infants. Overall, 67 parents responded to the survey; of these, more than half (n = 42, 63%) reported that they or their partner had trouble making enough milk for their baby (Table 1). Of those, several (n = 12, 29%) said that they sought human milk from another source, most commonly a friend or family member or a hospital milk bank.