Network of Human Milk Banks in Cuba (2015-2020)

Abstract

Breastfeeding is a human right. It must be guaranteed that disadvantaged children who cannot be breastfed by their mothers, benefit from human milk. A human milk bank is a specialized center where breastfeeding activities are carried out aiming to promotion and development. Donated human milk is collected and pasteurized for subsequent distribution, upon prescription, to newborns who require it. The objective of this article was to present the usefulness of implementing a network of human milk banks in Cuba and to describe the main results from 2015 to 2020, according to data from the annual records of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. 29.6% of women who had a live birth during the study period received assistance from these banks, and 26.9% agreed to donate human milk. A total of 30,433.9 liters of human milk were collected and processed during the period, benefiting 2.5% of newborns, with a sustained increase in preterm births. This contributed, among other factors, to reducing the infant and neonatal mortality rate. It is concluded that human milk banks in Cuba have been a positive intervention strategy and have shown notable results in their first six years of operation.