Paediatria Croatica, Vol. 64 No. 2, 2020.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.13112/PC.2020.15
Human Milk Bank in Croatia: initial experiences
Branka Golubić Ćepulić
Jurjana Novoselac
Anita Pavičić Bošnjak
Ivana Leskovar
Koraljka Gojčeta
Vladimira Rimac
Sažetak
Donated human milk is the best substitute for breast milk in the case when the mother cannot feed her baby. Human milk banks
provide safe and high quality donated human milk. That was the reason why the Human Milk Bank was established in the Croatian
Tissue and Cell Bank at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre in January 2020. The Bank works in accordance with the Law on the
Application of Human Tissues and Cells. In this paper, we present the results of the Bank work since from its opening until June 2020.
Due to logistic reasons caused by the COVID-19 epidemic and the earthquake in Zagreb, the Human Milk Bank did not collect milk
for 43 days. Milk was donated by 31 mothers. Their median age was 31 years and 81% of them had high education level. In 52% of
cases, mothers started donating milk three months after giving birth. Most donors donated milk only once (45%). The median period
of donation was 46 days. The majority (52%) of donors gave birth for the fi rst time, in the expected term of childbirth (94%), birth
weight was >2500 g. Only three of donors’ children (9%) were in intensive care. A total of 175.5 L of milk were collected (mean 5.7 L
per donor), of which 151.5 L met the requirements of input quality control, and 141 L were pasteurized. A critical number of viable
aerobic and facultative bacteria were identifi ed in 32.6% of milk pools prepared for pasteurization, and 8.9% after pasteurization. For
clinical use, 78.7 L were dispensed in three neonatal intensive care units. The Human Milk Bank has already shown the importance
of its activities during the fi rst months of operation. In order to be able to meet the needs for donated human milk at the national
level, it is necessary to constantly inform mothers about the importance of human milk and to promote its donation.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
243767
URI
Datum izdavanja:
25.6.2020.
Posjeta: 1.497 *