(P10-008-24) Factors Associated With Pasteurized Donor Human Milk Use at U.S. Hospitals, 2022

Objectives: To describe the practice of providing pasteurized donor human milk (PDHM) to newborns at U.S. hospitals and the characteristics of hospitals that engage in this practice.

Methods: The Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey is a census of maternity care facilities in the United States and territories. Hospitals with complete data on level of neonatal care and PDHM use in the 2022 cycle were included (n=1,981). Hospitals’ reported proportions of newborns supplemented with PDHM were compared by level of neonatal care (Level I–Level IV) as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Cross-tabulations of PDHM use by hospital characteristics were also calculated.

Results: Almost half (48.9%, n=969) of the included hospitals provided PDHM. Nearly two-thirds (64.9%, n=1,285) of hospitals did not offer PDHM as a supplement to breastfed newborns in Level I care. Of the hospitals that did supplement with PDHM, 33.8% (n=235) provided it to the majority (≥50%) of breastfed newborns in Level I care who were supplemented. Among Level II–IV hospitals (n=1,196), 68.9% (n=824) provided PDHM to newborns in Level II–IV care, with 53.2% (n=438) of those hospitals giving PDHM to the majority (≥50%) of the newborns in Level II–IV care. A higher proportion of Level III–IV hospitals (n=590) than Level I–II hospitals (n=1,391) provided PDHM as a supplement to breastfed newborns in Level I care (54.9%, n=324 vs. 26.7%, n=372). Compared to Level III–IV hospitals that did not provide PDHM as a supplement to breastfed newborns in Level I care nor to newborns in Level II–IV care, Level III–IV hospitals that provided PDHM to both newborn populations had a higher median number of annual births (1,030 vs. 2,300), a greater median percent of women who gave birth that were White (30.0 vs. 60.0), and a lower median percent of women who gave birth that were Black (14.0 vs. 10.0) and Hispanic/Latino (45.5 vs. 16.0).

Conclusions: Supplementation with PDHM in U.S. hospitals was common and varied by newborn population and hospital characteristics including level of neonatal care, number of births, and racial and ethnic distribution of served population.

Funding Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention