Knowledge of the importance of breast milk and its donation in milk banks

Abstract

The objective of this study was to collect information through a questionnaire with pregnant women about the level of knowledge and intention to donate surplus breast milk to the Human Milk Bank (HMB) or to a nearby Collection Point. The sample consisted of 60 pregnant women, with an average age of 25 to 30 years, and most of them had elementary and secondary education, were brown and primiparous. About 95% of these pregnant women intended to breastfeed their offspring, often being "when to cry" and, in their majority (80%), choosing not to give any complement to breastfeeding. When asked about information about the HMB, 51 pregnant women were already aware of the presence of the institution, most of whom had a level of knowledge considered average. The main source of information spread about HMB was the Family Health Unit/Hospital itself, and this information was classified as "very important" by the majority of participants (43%). About 73% of the pregnant women wanted to donate breast milk, 85% would use HMB milk and 83% thought the HMB's work was reliable. Of the total number of pregnant women, only 2 (3%) reported that they had already donated breast milk, and their experiences were classified as "very good" or "good", but only 50% of them would donate again. It is imminent that these results will be analyzed by health managers so that they can develop strategies to increase both information and the intention to donate surplus breast milk among pregnant and future breastfeeding women.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.023-032