Supporting the Development and Operation of Human Milk Banks

A mother’s own milk is the ideal source of nutrition for newborns—especially for preterm, sick, or low birthweight babies. When a mother’s milk is unavailable, donor human milk is the next best alternative. To improve access to both, EFCNI (now GFCNI) launched an international initiative to support clinical centers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria in establishing and running human milk banks. This project provides valuable guidance and resources to ensure the safe, effective, and sustainable operation of human milk banks in neonatal care.

Advocacy Materials

Recommendations for Promoting Human Milk Banks in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland

An interdisciplinary Scientific Advisory Board reviewed and compared existing guidelines from several European countries. Based on their analysis and experience, the board developed evidence-based recommendations to support the establishment and operation of human milk banks in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These guidelines align with the current scientific consensus and are designed with practical implementation in mind.

Toolkit for Establishing and Organizing Human Milk Banks

This comprehensive toolkit was designed to assist clinical centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with the setup and daily operation of human milk banks. It includes best-practice examples, step-by-step instructions, and customizable templates for checklists and informational materials.

Workshop by EFCNI (now GFCNI)

Training for Setting Up and Running Human Milk Banks

As part of the EFCNI Academy (now GFCNI Academy), specialized workshops were held in 2018 and 2019 to train professionals on the setup and management of human milk banks. During these one-day workshops, leading experts shared practical insights and real-life experiences from operating successful milk banks. The sessions were tailored for pediatricians, lactation consultants, and other healthcare professionals interested in establishing milk banks.

Testimonial from a 2019 workshop participant:

“I learned a lot in this workshop—it really was a fantastic event.

We received a huge amount of interesting and useful information that will help us to establish a human milk bank in our hospital.”

Scientific Advisory Board Members

Members of the project Scientific Advisory Board during the last meeting.

Members of the Project Scientific Advisory Board (in alphabetical order)

The following experts participated in the most recent meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board for the human milk bank project:

Professor Michael Abou-Dakn – Berlin, Germany
Dr. Stefanie Baranowski – Ulm, Germany
Dr. Monika Berns – Berlin, Germany
Katarina Eglin – Darmstadt, Germany
Professor Andreas Flemmer – Munich, Germany
Dr. Corinna Gebauer – Leipzig, Germany
Dr. René Glanzmann – Basel, Switzerland
Janine Grunert – Basel, Switzerland
Professor Nadja Haiden – Vienna, Austria
Dr. Erna Hattinger – Salzburg, Austria
Dr. Susanne Herber-Jonat – Munich, Germany
Dr. Edda Hofstätter – Salzburg, Austria
Dr. Daniel Klotz – Freiburg, Germany
Madeleine Kujawa – Munich, Germany
Dr. Eva-Maria Mair – Ulm, Germany
Dr. Andreas Malzacher – St. Gallen, Switzerland
Caroline Peter – Basel, Switzerland
Professor Michael Radke – Rostock/Potsdam, Germany
Elke Sams – Salzburg, Austria

Transparency

All content in the project was independently developed by EFCNI (now GFCNI) and reviewed by external experts for medical accuracy. The project is powered by GFCNI.