Acceptability to donate human breast milk among post-natal mothers at St Francis hospital Nsambya Uganda: A mixed method study

Abstract Background Whereas the World Health Organisationrecommends use of donated Human Breast Milk (HBM) as the second best option for preterm babies, whose mothers lack breast milk, HBM donation is not a practice in Uganda. We assessed the level of and factors associated with acceptance to donate HBM among postnatal mothers at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya (SFHN). Methods A cross-sectional sequential explanatory mixed method study was used. A questionnaire on socio-demography, awareness and likely acceptability to donate HBM was administered to 410 postnatal mothers at SFHN. Data was entered in Epi Info 7 and analysed using STATA version 13 for multivariate logistic regression to predict factors for acceptance to donate HBM. Focus Group Discussions (4) and Key Informants Interviews (4) were used to explore factors influencing behaviours to donate HBM. Qualitative data was analysed using content thematic approach. Results Overall the acceptance to donate HBM was 77.6% and the significant factors were; willingness to express HBM (aOR 7.5,95%CI: 3.01 -18.); wet-nursing knowledge (aOR 2.3,95%CI: 1.1–5.0) and under-5 years clinic visit (aOR 21.3, 95% CI: 2.3–196.9). Emerging themes for accepting to donate HBM were; wet-nursing experience, confidence to donate HBM and its perceived effectiveness. There were concerns about safety and adequacy of HBM, fear to transmit criminality and mental illness through HBM. Conclusion Acceptance to donate HBM among postnatal mothers at St. Francis Hospital Nsambya was very high. Willingness to express and store breast milk, prior knowledge about wet nursing and visit to an under five OPD were associated with acceptance. Thus establishing a HBM bank is feasible.