Peer-to-Peer Human Milk-Sharing Among Israeli Milk Donors: A Mixed-Methods Study in the Land of Milk and Honey.
Ayelet Oreg, Maya Negev
PMID 37688471WHAT IT FOUND
Israeli milk donors reported 96.0% always sanitized equipment, but only 80.0% always washed hands. 57.2% always used all five safe practices, and 47.6% knew HIV can be transmitted.
Key findings
01Among 250 donors, 96.0% always used washed or sanitized containers and pumping equipment, but only 80.0% always washed hands.
02Only 57.2% (n = 143) always engaged in all five milk-handling and storage practices.
0347.6% correctly knew that HIV can be transmitted through human milk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was limited to Israeli Jewish donors who use online or social media platforms, so ultra-Orthodox donors and Arab donors were not represented. Recruitment was non-probability and through milk-sharing groups, so it may over-represent motivated donors. Practices and knowledge were self-reported, and the paper states a survey cannot determine whether reporting matches actual practice. Most survey items were created for this study and were not validated in previous studies. Data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hand hygiene messaging was widespread, which may have influenced responses.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 96.0% sanitized-equipment rate as proof that shared milk was safe. The paper reports self-reported practices, not observed practice, and only 57.2% always used all five safe practices.