Disparities in Donor Human Milk Supplementation Among Well Newborns.
Laura R Kair, Nichole L Nidey, Jessie E Marks and 5 others
PMID 31770064WHAT IT FOUND
Donor milk use was lower among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, Asian, publicly insured, and non-English-speaking mothers, with the largest difference for Hispanic mothers versus non-Hispanic White mothers, despite donor milk being the unit's first-line supplement.
Key findings
01Of 678 breastfed infants, 306 received donor milk and 372 received formula during the birth hospitalization.
02After accounting for other factors, Hispanic mothers were 72% less likely to use donor milk than non-Hispanic White mothers.
03Publicly insured and non-English-speaking mothers were less likely to use donor milk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at one hospital in the midwestern United States, so it may not apply to other places. It used records from one year, and 25 infants had missing race data. The records did not show whether parents were offered donor milk and declined it or were not offered it. The study did not know the infant's father or caregiver race or language. It did not collect multiple birth data, so twins could have been included twice. It did not know mothers' breastfeeding intentions, so some formula use may have been planned mixed feeding. It did not know why supplementation was needed or what lactation support each mother received.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest relevant to this work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower donor milk use among Hispanic, Non-Hispanic Black, Asian, publicly insured, or non-English-speaking mothers as proof that these families refused donor milk. The records did not show whether donor milk was offered and declined or never offered.