ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Minerva Pediatrica 2007 August;59(4):337-48

Copyright © 2007 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Organisational aspects of a donated breast milk bank: experience of the Treviso hospital

Paccagnella A., Michieletto S., Pitassi I., Baruffi C., Pizzolato D., Marcon M. L., Saia O. S., Toscani P., Moretti G., Foscolo G.

¹ Servizio di Dietetica e Nutrizione Clinica Dipartimento di Medicina, ULSS 9, Treviso 2 Serenissima Ristorazione S.p.A., Vicenza 3 Divisione di Patologia Neonatale Dipartimento Materno-Infantile, ULSS 9, Treviso 4 Direzione Sanitaria del Presidio di Treviso e Oderzo, ULSS 9, Treviso 5 Scuola di Specializzazione in Scienze dell’Alimentazione Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova

Aim. This study analyses the organisational aspects and the volume of milk managed by the donated breast milk bank (banca del latte umano donato, BLUD) in Treviso.
Methods. The data gathered refer to the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. In particular the hygiene methodology is described in order to obtain a high-quality product from a clinical point of view which is in line with the recent norms regarding the management of food products.
Results. During the three-year study 5 647 L of milk were collected (on average: 155 L/month; 5 L/day). Seventy-two percent of breast milk collected was from mothers for their own children; the remaining 28% of milk was from “donors for the pool”. In the same period 5 053 L of milk was pasteurised and distributed (pool=31%; frozen breast milk=61%; chilled unpasteurized breast milk =8%). Microbiolo-gical data show total effectiveness of the methods of pasteurisation used (Holder method). The tracking of the product is possible through the BLUD organisation.
Conclusion. We propose: 1) that scientific organisations and legislators try to optimise the control of this important product by providing guidelines, indications, microbiological parameters and legal obligations for the correct continuation of the work carried out by BLUDs; 2) that BLUDs create a network for rapid communication, integration and possible collaboration; 3) that a study be carried out regarding BLUDs and population density in order to balance costs and benefits.