The benefits of human milk are well-known, as human milk provides optimal nutrition in facilitating the growth, health, and development of infants and children. There are circumstances when a mother’s breast milk may be unavailable due to maternal illness, insufficient milk supply, contraindications, or geographical barriers (Dempsey & Miletin, 2010). Global recommendations support the use of donor human milk in situations where a mother’s own breast milk is unavailable (World Health Organization, 2009). Due to the limited supply, the pasteurized product is allocated to high risk infants within the hospitalized setting (Human Milk Bank Association of North America, 2008). Based on the allocation priorities, many individuals are unable to access donor human milk. In response to the growing demands for donor human milk, Internet based organizations have facilitated peer to peer human milk sharing. Given the fact that sharing human milk has been practiced as a covert activity, there is a lack of prevalence data (Thorley, 2008). To date, minimal research has examined this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore the description of sharing human milk utilizing an online commerce-free approach. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 research participants and analyzed using an inductive approach to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative content analysis was selected based on the recognition of the importance of obtaining a rich description when exploring this phenomenon. Outcomes generated from the research study resulted in emerging concepts and categories. The concepts from the data analysis consisted of the following: commitment to human milk; virtual nature of relationships; and making the private public. The identified categories include: 1) infant feeding practices; 2) experience with sharing human milk; 3) selection of donors or recipients; 4) relationships among donors and recipients sharing human milk; 5) shared doctrine; 6) use of the Internet to share human milk; and 7) informing health care professionals and others regarding sharing human milk. Findings generated from this study provide an increase in understanding of this phenomenon. The cultivated knowledge will assist health care professionals in working in partnership with families to ensure optimal outcomes. / Thesis (Master, Nursing) -- Queen's University, 2013-07-27 20:26:30.206

abstract: Exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding and the provision of human milk in the United States is suboptimal. In the absence of adequate banked donor human milk for distribution to all infants in need, many families choose to engage in the practice of Private Arrangement Milk Sharing (PAMS), partially facilitated through social media, to procure human milk for their infants. Evidence regarding the participant and infant characteristics and risk abatement practices is incomplete. This dissertation describes and explores the characteristics of recipient participants and infants, family constellation, donor screening practices, and related risk abatement strategies. Data was collected via on-line survey as a sub-group of a larger data set including donor participants and international participants. Binary logistic regression modeling of factors that contribute to consistent screening and risk abatement practices and important antecedents to engaging in PAMS was conducted. Results are contextualized within a tailored socioecological framework of factors affecting infant feeding practices. Tailoring was accomplished via qualitative descriptive analysis of participant responses applied to an existing breastfeeding framework. Participants in this sample were predominantly white, married, with a mean age of 32.9 years, with at least some college education and above median income. Risk abatement and screening practices were influenced by support of a healthcare provider during decision-making, college education, infant age and health status, having lactation support, birth type and birth attendant, and the duration and sources sought for learning about milk sharing. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Nursing and Healthcare Innovation 2016