title: [Donors' personal profile in Tuscany's network of milk banks].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An investigation on human milk donors among the milk banks of Tuscany's network was carried out. Milk banks select, collect, check, process, store and deliver human milk, whose donors should have certain physical and psychological well-being features. The aim of the study was to describe a personal and social profile of milk donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included a sample of 100 milk donors and a sample of 100 non-milk donor mothers; a questionnaire that collected data about mothers' general information, clinical history, pregnancy and delivery, weight variations, state of health, lifestyle, breastfeeding and knowledge about milk banks was administered to all of them. Then information about food history of mothers has also been collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First the samples of donors were analysed for all variables considered. Subsequently the samples of donors were compared with the samples of non-donors: statistical analysis was carried out with χ2 test and documented significant differences between donors and non-donors for the majority of variables considered in the questionnaire and for food history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Milk donors have a good state of health, and the integration in milk donation initiative headed towards a healthier lifestyle. It is necessary to promote an advertising campaign to integrate social and sanitary politics, fitting to local socio-economical contest. Furthermore, the improvement of milk banks of public hospitals is necessary, as hospitals are places of major stream both of potential donors and newborns.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Pediatria, Università di Siena, Siena, Italia. strambi@unisi.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strambi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Anselmi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coppi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D017784:Milk Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008895:Milk, Human; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires