Analysis of ethical dilemmas and coping strategies for the establishment of human milk banks in hospitals
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2025.11.09
- VernacularTitle:医院建立母乳库的伦理困境与应对策略分析
- Author:
Yao JIN
1
;
Zhenyan FU
2
;
Huixiang SHANG
1
;
Lijuan WEI
2
;
Chi HUANG
2
;
Juan CHEN
2
;
Mingtao QUAN
1
Author Information
1. Department of Nursing， Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University， Zunyi 563099， China
2. Department of Neonatology， Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University， Zunyi 563099， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
human milk bank;
donor human milk;
ethical dilemma
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2025;38(11):1441-1446
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Breast milk is the optimal natural food for newborns. However， some newborns cannot receive maternal breast milk due to reasons such as mother-infant separation or insufficient lactation. The establishment of human milk banks （HMB） can effectively address these issues， thereby increasing the breastfeeding rate among hospitalized newborns and improving their quality of survival. However， HMB in China is still in the development and improvement stage. Its implementation involves a series of ethical issues， such as informed consent， privacy protection， economic incentives， quality and safety， and fair resource distribution， which hinder HMB’s widespread promotion. Therefore， discussing the ethical dilemmas faced by the widespread establishment of HMB in China’s hospitals and analyzing coping strategies are crucial for improving the breastfeeding rate of newborns. This paper deeply analyzed and sorted out the ethical issues and challenges currently faced by HMB in China， and proposed corresponding strategies， including “ensuring informed consent and voluntary participation of both donors and recipients，” “protecting the privacy of donors and recipients，” “establishing an ethics-based moral incentive and social support system，” “strictly controlling quality and safety issues”， and “developing fair and rational policies，” aiming to provide a reference solution for addressing ethical concerns in the establishment and operation of HMB.
