Acceptability and Use of Donor Human Milk Banking and Associated Factors Among Postnatal Mothers at Jimma Medical Centre, Southwest Ethiopia: An Institutional-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction : Donor human milk is the biological standard for infant nutrition. However, there is limited knowledge about donor human milk, and few studies have examined the acceptability of donor breast milk banking and infant feeding in Ethiopia. Methods : An institution-based cross-sectional survey was conducted with 358 randomly selected postnatal mothers. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with the acceptability of breast milk banking. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated to assess the strength of the associations, with statical significance set at a p-value ≤ 0.05. Result : A total of 358 postnatal women participated in the study, with response rate of 97.5%. The findings indicated that 43.6% participants were willing to donate breast milk for banking, while 141 mothers (39.4%) were willing to use donated breast milk to feed infants. Factors significantly associated with acceptance of breast milk banking a government employee (AOR: 3.072; 95% CI:1.161–8.128), having visited a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (AOR: 5.940; 95% CI: 2.383–14.805), and possessing a positive attitude toward breast milk banking (AOR: 5.907; 95% CI: 3.153–11.064). Conclusion and Recommendation : The study found that 43.6% of participants were willing to donate breast milk to a milk bank, and 39.4% were open to using banked breast milk for infant feeding. It is recommended to implement awareness campaigns and educational programs to increase knowledge about breast milk banking among postnatal women and the broader community.