Guideline · Position statement or standards
Donor Human Milk for the High-Risk Infant: Preparation, Safety, and Usage Options in the United States
- Allied health
- Breast milk and breastfeeding
- Enteral feeding
- Infection
- Infection prevention
- Medical
- Necrotising enterocolitis
- Nursing
- Nutrition and gastrointestinal
This guideline is from 2017, more than five years ago. Check whether a newer version exists and which version your unit follows.
Summary
This American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report addresses the preparation, safety and use of donor human milk for high-risk infants in the United States, particularly very low birthweight infants and those with severe intestinal disorders. It describes pasteurised donor milk from established milk banks, with donor screening, collection, storage and pasteurisation, as safe when maternal milk supply is insufficient. It advises against non-pasteurised and informal or internet-based milk sharing, and highlights the clinician's role in counselling families about contamination and drug exposure risks. It also calls for public policy to improve access to and affordability of donor milk.
Summary written for NICUlearn. Always read the original.
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