Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39618066›Full record

ArticleJournal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association2025

Understanding modifiable barriers to human milk donation in the United Kingdom.

Amy Brown, Sara Jones, Catrin Griffiths, Wendy Jones, Gillian Weaver, Natalie Shenker

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Exploring human milk donation: A cross-sectional study.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Understanding modifiable barriers to human milk donation in the United Kingdom.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Amy BrownCentre for Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translation (LIFT), Swansea University, Swansea, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0438-0157
Sara JonesCentre for Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translation (LIFT), Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
Catrin GriffithsCentre for Lactation, Infant Feeding and Translation (LIFT), Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
Wendy JonesFaculty Medicine, Health and Life Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
Gillian WeaverThe Human Milk Foundation, Gossams End, Berkhamsted, UK.
Natalie ShenkerDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Funding

Higher Education Funding Council for WalesUK Research and Innovation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhen premature infants cannot receive their own mother's milk, donor human milk (DHM) is the first-line recommended option, with growing demand for DHM use outside of neonatal units. To meet the potential need, we need to consider whether DHM supply can increase. This study aimed to explore the reasons that prevent women who wish to donate their milk in the United Kingdom from doing so to understand which barriers may be modifiable.

methodsWomen who wanted to donate their milk but did not do so completed an online survey. Open and closed questions examined the response they received, their reasons for not donating and what they did with any milk that they had already stored.

resultsOut of 732 mothers, 391 (53.4%) did not enquire as they did not think it was possible for them, 218 (29.8%) enquired but were told that they could not donate, 59 (8.1%) enquired but decided not to proceed and 64 (8.7%) received no response. Reasons for being told they could not donate included the use of certain medications, infant age, inadequate staffing, geographic barriers and incorrect storage. Process aspects (e.g., blood tests, practicalities) and lifestyle limitations led mothers to decide not to donate.

conclusionsAlthough some women will be prevented from donating due to medication or health issues, investment in milk banking staffing and infrastructure and awareness campaigns could increase DHM supply, enabling guidelines to extend eligibility criteria for receiving DHM such as for late preterm infants, gestational diabetes or to support low maternal milk supply.

Indexed as

Infant, PrematureMilk BanksMilk, HumanMothersAdultFemaleHumansInfant, NewbornSurveys and QuestionnairesTissue DonorsUnited KingdomYoung Adultbreastfeedingdonor human milkhealth service deliveryinfant feeding servicesmilk banking infrastructuremilk donation

Identifiers

PMID39618066
PMCPMC11609400

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.