Authors: (including presenting author): :
CHAN WY(1), LAW CY(1), TSO JE(1), SO HY(1)
Affiliation: :
(1)Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Kwong Wah Hospital
Keyword 1: :
pasteurized donor breast milk
Keyword 2: :
hong kong breastmilk bank
Introduction: :
The establishment of the Hong Kong Breast Milk Bank (HKBMB) provides a safe alternative to formula or informal milk sharing for infants requiring donor milk, yet its utilization remains low. Parental attitudes, knowledge, and barriers to accepting Pasteurized Donor Breast Milk (PDBM) in this context were largely unknown.
Objectives: :
To identify barriers and facilitators affecting parental acceptance of PDBM in Hong Kong and to evaluate the impact of a structured educational intervention on knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intention.
Methodology: :
A pre-post intervention study was conducted from July to September 2025 in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Special Care Baby Unit in Kwong Wah Hospital. Convenience sampling recruited 52 mothers of hospitalized infants. Participants completed a pre-intervention questionnaire assessing demographics, neonatal clinical profiles, baseline knowledge, and attitudes towards PDBM. They then viewed a standardized educational video about HKBMB and PDBM, followed by a post-intervention questionnaire evaluating changes.
Result & Outcome: :
To increase mothers' awareness in pasteurized donor breastmilk and its subsequent usage. Pre-intervention, awareness of PDBM and HKBMB was very low. Key barriers included concerns about donor safety and screening (62%), disease transmission, and processing quality. Cultural or personal aversion was minimal (13%). The educational intervention significantly improved knowledge across all domains: understanding of nutritional components (e.g., growth factor recognition rose from 42% to 92%), health benefits (e.g., recognition of reduced mortality rose from 12% to 94%), donor screening, and pasteurization processes. This translated into improved attitudes: trust in HKBMB, willingness to choose PDBM over formula in case of insufficient milk supply increased from 79% to 92%. Concerns about donor ambiguity fell from 52% to 10%.
