OBJECTIVE: to determine the socio-demographic profile of human milk donors and to identify the reasons they choose to donate their milk. METHODS: this was an exploratory, descriptive, and qualitative study. Eleven women from a public maternity hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, participated in this study. Data were collected in May 2003 using a semi-structured questionnaire. RESULTS: milk donors were 16 to 20 years old, married, and had an educational level ranging from elementary school to college. Women reported that the main reasons for donating their milk were breast engorgement and referral by health professionals. The most donors were not aware of the benefits of breast-feeding or the importance of their contribution to the maternity hospital milk bank. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS women should receive information about the benefits of breast feeding and donation of human milk through milk banks.
Milk banks; Milk human; Breast feeding
