title: [Profile of human milk bank donors and relationship with the length of the donation].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The promotion of Human Milk Banks is an important social service. The Human Milk Banks depend on donors, and knowing the profile of donors seems quite important.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the demographics and lifestyles of the donors, the reasons or influences for donating, and to associate these variables with the length of the donation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted on 168 mothers who answered the written questionnaire when they agreed to become donors. 98 (58%) responded to the telephone interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 33.1 ± 4.5 years. Of the total 27.9% lived outside Madrid and 21.4% were immigrants, with 23.7% working full time, 65.3% had a university education, and 96.2% had a stable partner. The main reasons for donating were too much milk (77%), and to help others (75%). The main obstacle was transportation to the Human Milk Bank for 20% of the donors, and for 61% the main reason for terminating donation was due to reaching the end of lactation. A longer donation is associated with: having a term newborn, with birth weight over 1500 g, starting donating early and reconciling the donation to the work situation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common donor profile was a young woman, with university education and a stable partner. Having a term new born, starting donating early, and the conciliation with work is associated with longer donations. Milk pick-up at home would make donation easier.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España. Electronic address: gemma.sierra@yahoo.es.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sierra Colomina
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: García Lara
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Escuder Vieco
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vázquez Román
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cabañes Alonso
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neonatología, Hospital Universitario Doce de Octubre, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Pallás Alonso
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017784:Milk Banks; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000145:classification; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Banco de leche materna; Breastfeeding; Donante; Donor; Human milk; Human milk bank; Lactancia; Leche materna; Prematuro; Preterm