title: Implications for observant Jewish families in the provision of mother's own and donor milk for their very low birth weight infant.
abstract: Jewish law recognizes the importance of breast milk, and breastfeeding rates are high among religious mothers. Infants born at very low birth weight are medically fragile, and breast milk is of critical importance for their health protection and optimal growth and development. For observant Jewish infants and their families, there may be scenarios for special consideration in their health care. This report reviews briefly the relevant Jewish laws related to breast milk provision, both mother's own milk and donor milk, in the neonatal intensive care unit with background information for counseling such families.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Moshe Yair
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kassierer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.affiliation: Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Asaph
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolnitzky
authors.affiliation: Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada sunger@mtsinai.on.ca.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Unger
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D065246:Culturally Competent Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007599:Judaism; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D017784:Milk Banks; D009864:Ontario
keywords: Judaism; banked donor milk; breastfeeding; expressed breast milk; family counseling; low birth weight infant