# Does the Possibility of Using Donor Human Milk Limit the Pursuit to Feed Neonates Their Own Mother’s Milk? The Impact of a Newly Opened Human Milk Bank on Feeding Practices in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, North-East Poland

## TL;DR

A study in Poland found that access to donor human milk increased efforts to feed neonates their mother's own milk in a neonatal care unit.

## Contribution

Demonstrates that donor milk availability enhances, rather than limits, the use of mother's milk in neonatal feeding practices.

## Key findings

- More neonates received mother’s own colostrum after the HMB opened (71.88% vs. 52.28%).
- Human milk feeding during hospitalization increased significantly (24.38% vs. 3.57%).
- A majority of neonates who received DHM were fed MOM at discharge (53.06%).

## Abstract

Background: Human milk is considered an ideal diet for neonates, and every effort should be made to promote breastfeeding. Donor human milk (DHM) remains the best alternative for neonates when their mother’s own milk (MOM) is not available. We tried to determine whether having easy access to DHM from a Human Milk Bank (HMB) would reduce the pursuit to feed neonates MOM. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on data from neonates consecutively admitted to the Neonatal Intensive and Intermediate Care Units of the Department of Neonatology of the Medical University of Bialystok between 1 January 2022 and 31 March 2025. The study period covered 2 years before the opening of the HMB and 1 year of its operation. No specific changes in feeding practices occurred simultaneously during the HMB’s first year of operation. Results: In the first year of operation of the HMB, we observed an increase in the percentage of neonates who (1) received mother’s own colostrum (71.88% vs. 52.28% (2023) and 52.05% (2022); p < 0.001), (2) were fed human milk during hospitalization (24.38% vs. 3.57% (2023) and 4.09% (2022); p < 0.001) and (3) were fed MOM at discharge (43.86% vs. 56.25%, p = 0.024). In total, 53.06% of neonates who received DHM were fed MOM at discharge. Conclusions: The possibility of using milk from the HMB did not limit the desire to feed neonates MOM but intensified it. Neonates were more likely to be fed MOM during the first feeding, throughout their hospitalization, and at discharge. It shows the strong potential of HMBs in improving feeding practices in Neonatal Intensive and Intermediate Care Units.