Human Breast Milk Donors

2020

Carroll K, Noble-Carr D, Sweeney L, Waldby C. The “lactation after infant death (AID) framework”: a guide for online health information provision about lactation after stillbirth and infant death. Journal of Human Lactation. 2020. doi:10.1177/0890334420926946

Friend LL, Perrin MT. Fat and protein variability in donor human milk and associations with milk banking processes. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2020.370-376. doi:org/10.1089/bfm.2020.0046

Sweeney L, Carroll K, Noble-Carr D, Waldby C. Lactation after infant death: an analysis of Australian healthcare agencies' online health information. Health Sociology Review. 2020.29(1).45–61. doi:10.1080/14461242.2019.1708206

 
2019

Palmquist AEL, Perrin MT, Cassar-Uhl D, Gribble KD, Bond AB,  Cassidy T. Current trends in research on human milk exchange for infant feeding. Journal of Human Lactation. 2019. 453–477. doi:org/10.1177/0890334419850820

 
2018

Perrin MT. Donor human milk and fortifier use in United States level 2, 3, and 4 neonatal care hospitals. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. 2018. 664–669. doi:org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000001790

 
2016

Perrin MT, Goodell SL, Fogleman A, Pettus H, Bodenheimer, AL,  Palmquist AEL. Expanding the supply of pasteurized donor milk. Journal of Human Lactation. 2016. 229–237. doi:org/10.1177/0890334415627024

 
2015

Carroll K. Representing ethnographic data through the epistolary form: A correspondence between a breastmilk donor and recipient. Qualitative Inquiry. 2015.686-95. doi:10.1177/1077800414566691

 
2014

Carroll KE, Lenne BS, McEgan K, Opie G, Amir LH, Bredemeyer S, Hartmann B, Jones R, Koorts P, McConachy H, Mumford P, Polverino, J. Breast milk donation after neonatal death in Australia: a report. International Breastfeeding Journal. 2014.9(1).23.doi:10.1186/s13006-014-0023-4

Perrin MT, Goodell SL, Allen JC,  Fogleman A. A mixed-methods observational study of human milk sharing communities on Facebook. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2014.9(3).128–134. doi:org/10.1089/bfm.2013.0114

A systematic review of human milk bank donors, recipients and organisational factors impacting their experience

Professor Barbara Masser, Dr Mel Hyde, Dr Rachel Thorpe, Dr Katherine Carroll

Milk banks provide a vital service in the collection, processing and distribution of human breast milk to premature or unwell babies. Demand for these services and donation of breast milk for babies and for research purposes is increasing. Two reviews (1,2) explored the motivations or facilitators and barriers of donating to a human milk bank and identified the most important motives or facilitators of donation as having excess breast milk and altruism. Common barriers to donation, especially in countries with Muslim populations or developing countries, were religious and cultural concerns (1). These reviews provide a foundation from which to expand the scope of our knowledge about human milk bank donors by taking a more holistic view of the triad involved in the donation process, namely the mothers who donate, the mother of the recipient, and the organisation (milk bank) as the intermediary. No systematic reviews of the milk bank donor literature have been conducted that comprehensively consider this triad. The purpose of our systematic review is to address this gap as well as consider the evidence for women who choose not to donate to human milk banks.

For more information and for preregistration of the review, click here

ENGAGING AND MEETING THE ONLINE INFORMATION NEEDS OF POTENTIAL MILK BANK DONORS  

Dr Mel HydeProfessor Barbara Masser

Milk bank websites should provide sufficiently detailed, up-to-date information about safety, eligibility, and engagement with the service. Based on a scoping review of milk bank websites, we provide seven recommendations as to the essential information to provide to potential milk bank donors.