KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF POST NATAL LACTATING MOTHERS REGARDING HUMAN MILK DONATION IN OUR HOSPITAL

Rajeesha C.H; Sahana K.S; Prakash R.M. Saldanha

Volume : VIII, Issue : III, March - 2018

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF POST NATAL LACTATING MOTHERS REGARDING HUMAN MILK DONATION IN OUR HOSPITAL

Rajeesha C. H, Sahana K. S, Prakash R. M. Saldanha

Abstract :

A human milk bank is a service established for collecting, screening, processing, storing and distributing donated human milk.

Objective:

· To assess the knowledge and attitude of post natal lactating mothers regarding human milk banking.

· To explore the prejudice and awareness surrounding in donating and accepting pasteurized east milk through human milk banking

Methods: The study was a hospital based cross sectional questionnaire study among post natal lactating mothers at YMCH hospital in the post natal ward. 150 mothers who satisfied the inclusion criteria were included in the study. A pretested questionnaire was supplied among the lactating mothers regarding the human milk shå and donating.

Results:

Majority of the mothers including NICU babies’ mothers were neither willing to donate their milk nor willing to accept east milk as their cultural and religious practices do not encourage the same. Only 6.7% mothers had heard about human milk banks. Only 17.3% mothers and 3 mothers among the 15 NICU babies think that a human milk bank is required.

Conclusion

Majority of mothers are unaware about the concept of human milk banking and are reluctant to neither donate nor accept donor east milk. The major reason for this is the lack of knowledge about the importance of human milk and they think that the best top up feed next to direct east milk is the formula milk.