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Nutrients
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Own or Donated Human Milk: Its Role in Today's Society
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Own or Donated Human Milk: Its Role in Today's Society

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 3072

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gonzalo Solís Sánchez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neonatology Unit, Pediatrics Area, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: neonatal nutrition; probiotics; antibiotics; Bifidobacterium
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marta Suárez-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Neonatology Unit, Pediatrics Area, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, 33006 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: neonatal nutrition; breastfeeding; probiotics; antibiotics; Bifidobacterium; research ethics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The WHO supports nutrition with exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months, and after the introduction of complementary feeding until the mother decides it is appropriate. This recommendation is even more important in premature neonates and other vulnerable neonates. In premature babies, donated human milk can be the best alternative in situations where the mother cannot yet provide her own milk.

In this Special Issue, we discuss current aspects of breastfeeding and donated human milk banks in high-income countries and those with medium or low income. In all of them, breastfeeding is a key piece in the optimal growth and neurodevelopment of infants, as well as the best preventive measure for various pathologies in the short, medium, and long term.

News in the composition of breast milk, factors associated with its initiation or maintenance, effects of its use in the prevention of pathology, and any other related point of view, both with their own and donated human milk, they will be well received in this Special Issue.

Dr. Gonzalo Solís Sánchez
Dr. Marta Suárez-Rodríguez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breastfeeding
  • donated human milk bank
  • growth
  • neurodevelopmental
  • prevention

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 219 KiB  
Article
Breastfeeding and Its Influence on Psychomotor Development: An Investigation Based on the LAyDI Study (PAPenRed)
by Silvia Martín-Ramos, Begoña Domínguez-Aurrecoechea, Marta Carballal-Mariño, Guadalupe Del Castillo-Aguas, Gonzalo Solís-Sánchez and on behalf of the “Red de Investigación en Pediatría de Atención Primaria” (PAPenRed)
Nutrients 2025, 17(6), 967; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17060967 - 10 Mar 2025
Viewed by 501
Abstract
Objectives: To analyse whether breastfeeding (BF) is related to better psychomotor development in the first two years of life. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of children born in Spain (between April 2017 and March 2018) and followed during the first two [...] Read more.
Objectives: To analyse whether breastfeeding (BF) is related to better psychomotor development in the first two years of life. Methods: Prospective longitudinal study of a cohort of children born in Spain (between April 2017 and March 2018) and followed during the first two years of life by their primary care paediatrician in eight visits (LAyDI study—PAPenRed research network). The Haizea-Llevant development chart was used to assess the psychomotor development (DPM), and the subjects were divided according to whether or not they met each milestone. Results: The initial sample was 1946 children (50.1% boys), which varied at each visit from 1946 on the first and second visit to 1076 on the last visit; DPM at 12, 18 and 24 months was compared according to the type of BF at 6 months; at 24 months, significant differences were found in the achievement of milestones in the BF-at-6-months group (“scribbles spontaneously”, p 0.007 and “descends stair”, p 0.002). When comparing the mean duration of BF and exclusive breastfeeding, according to milestones reached or not, statistically significant differences were observed in more milestones at the 24-month visit, including “eats with a spoon” (5.6 months in the group that reached it vs. 2.4 months in the group that did not, p 0.014), and again for the milestone ‘scribbles spontaneously’ (5.6 months vs. 1.8 months, p 0.021), among others. Conclusions: In our study, psychomotor development in the first two years of life does not show major differences in relation to the type of feeding; from this age onwards, the differences may be greater. Many factors influence psychomotor development in the first years of life, with breastfeeding not being an isolated factor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Own or Donated Human Milk: Its Role in Today's Society)
9 pages, 455 KiB  
Article
Initiation of Enteral Feeding with Mother’s Own Milk or Donor Human Milk in Very Preterm Infants: Impact on Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Other Prematurity-Related Morbidities
by Alejandro Avila-Alvarez, Sara María Fernandez-Gonzalez, Andrea Sucasas-Alonso and Alba Sanchez Ansede
Nutrients 2025, 17(3), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030508 - 30 Jan 2025
Viewed by 909
Abstract
Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a major complication among preterm infants, and nutrition plays a crucial role in its prevention and management. While the nutritional superiority of human milk over preterm formula is well documented, comparisons of the protective benefits of mother’s own [...] Read more.
Background: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a major complication among preterm infants, and nutrition plays a crucial role in its prevention and management. While the nutritional superiority of human milk over preterm formula is well documented, comparisons of the protective benefits of mother’s own milk (MOM) versus donor human milk (DHM) in preterm infants are lacking. We aim to investigate if and how the use of MOM or DHM at the initiation of enteral feeding influences the development of BPD and other respiratory outcomes. Methods: This study evaluated the incidence of BPD and other prematurity outcomes in a cohort of 159 very preterm infants (≤32 weeks GA) who commenced enteral feeding with either MOM or DHM. Results: Enteral feeding was initiated with MOM in 75.5% of the infants and DHM in 24.5%. The incidence of BPD was 24.8% (39 infants), and 10.4% (16 infants) developed moderate-to-severe BPD. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed no significant differences between the MOM and DHM groups in the rates of BPD, other respiratory outcomes, or key prematurity-related morbidities. Conclusions: Despite the unique bioactive properties of MOM, these findings suggest that DHM is a valid alternative that does not significantly increase the incidence of BPD or other clinical outcomes. Further studies are required to determine the relative contributions of milk volumes and feeding practices to the observed findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Own or Donated Human Milk: Its Role in Today's Society)
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15 pages, 934 KiB  
Article
Factors Associated with the Prolonged Use of Donor Human Milk at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children in Vietnam
by Hoang Thi Tran, Tuan Thanh Nguyen, Oanh Thi Xuan Nguyen, Le Thi Huynh and Roger Mathisen
Nutrients 2024, 16(24), 4402; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16244402 - 22 Dec 2024
Viewed by 1222
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Donor human milk (DHM) from a human milk bank (HMB) is used to feed low-birthweight (LBW) and preterm infants when mothers cannot provide their own breastmilk. The misuse of DHM could interfere with mothers’ breastmilk and weaken breastfeeding efforts. This [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Donor human milk (DHM) from a human milk bank (HMB) is used to feed low-birthweight (LBW) and preterm infants when mothers cannot provide their own breastmilk. The misuse of DHM could interfere with mothers’ breastmilk and weaken breastfeeding efforts. This study aimed to identify factors behind prolonged DHM usage during the first six years of Vietnam’s first HMB. Methods: Data were extracted from the Da Nang HMB’s digital monitoring system. We defined prolonged DHM use as four or more days in the neonatal unit and two or more days in postnatal wards. Results: Over six years, 25,420 infants received DHM, with 45.3% of the infants being female, 54.7% being male, 70.0% being born via cesarean section, and 77.2% being full-term. In the neonatal unit (n = 7001), 38.0% of infants used DHM for ≥4 days. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for prolonged use were 0.14 for infants weighing <1000 g, 0.78 for infants weighing 1000–<1500 g, and 0.67 for infants weighing ≥2000 g (p < 0.01), compared to those weighing 1500–<2000 g. Compared to gestational ages of 32–<34 weeks, the aORs were 0.26 for <28 weeks, 0.71 for 34–<37 weeks, and 0.35 for ≥37 weeks (p < 0.01). In postnatal wards (n = 18,419), 53.1% of infants used DHM for ≥2 days. Compared to term, normal-weight infants, the aORs were 1.25 for LBW–preterm, 1.17 for LBW–term, and 1.21 for normal-weight–preterm infants (p < 0.05). Prolonged DHM use was associated with cesarean births in neonatal units (aOR 2.24, p < 0.01) and postnatal wards (aOR 1.44, p < 0.01). Conclusions: DHM is used briefly to bridge nutritional gaps and transition to mothers’ breastmilk, but LBW, preterm births, and cesarean births are linked to prolonged use. Healthcare providers should support those at risk of prolonged DHM use and prioritize reducing unnecessary cesarean births. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Own or Donated Human Milk: Its Role in Today's Society)
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