| This case study fills a void in United States health policy by developing a national policy statement about donor milk banking where none has existed before. It frames this policy through a systematic discussion of more than a century of issues and controversies surrounding donor milk banking in the United States and references relevant global literature and examples of milk banking initiatives. The policy statement is directed to non-governmental organizations involved in setting breastfeeding and maternal child health policy, governmental agencies involved in nutrition and maternal and child health policy and regulation, health professional organizations that set standards for maternal and child care providers, and public health organizations involved with education and establishment of health policy for the United States. Stand-alone work papers appear in the Appendices and provide critical background in the areas of history of human milk banking, health policy relating to breastfeeding and potentially donor milk banking, international models of donor milk banking, quality control, and ethics.; In order to draw conclusions and to develop the policy, a qualitative triangulation method was utilized that involved: writing as a method of inquiry; an integrative research review; and personal experience and knowledge of the topic. The researcher has 26 years hands-on experience in the field, beginning as a donor and working as administrator and pasteurizer for a milk bank. She was instrumental in the formation of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, acting as its executive Director for eight years. In that time she had experience working with government agencies and began her international consulting work, focusing on acquiring greater recognition of the public health value of donor human milk banking. The policy in this dissertation is phrased to ensure that donor milk banking realizes its full potential as an essential component of maternal and child public health, particularly in the preterm and sick infant populations. |
