How much does a liter of donor human milk cost? Cost analysis of operating a human milk bank in Italy.
Int Breastfeed J
; 17(1): 90, 2022 12 20.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36539788
BACKGROUND: To date, 40 Human Milk Banks (HMB) have been established in Italy; however, recent cost analysis data for operating an HMB in Italy are not available in the literature. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional study performed at "Bambino Gesù" Children's Hospital in Rome, Italy in 2019. We assessed the one-year operational costs and, the per liter unit costs at our HMB. RESULTS: During the 2019 year we collected 771 l of human milk supplied by 128 donors. The total cost was 178,287.00 and the average cost was 231.00 per liter. 188,716.00 would have been spent had the maximum capacity for 904 l been reached. We found a significant difference ( 231.00 vs 209.00 per liter, p = 0.016) comparing the cost for collected liters in the year 2019 and the cost for the maximum capacity of the bank for that year of activity. Analyzing each cost item that determines the charge of donor human milk (DHM), the highest costs are the salaries of medical and paramedical staff, and then the costs related to transporting. If the HMB works at maximum capacity and manages a greater number of liters of milk, this can represent an important saving. Conversely, the price of consumables is modest (i.e., the price of a single-use kit for breast pumps was 0.22 per unit). CONCLUSION: The costs for a liter of DHM are quite high, but they must be related to the benefits, especially for preterm infants. Comparing the cost for collected liters in 2019 and the costs for the 2019 maximum capacity of the HMB, we calculated how much fixed costs of collection and distribution of DHM can be reduced, by increasing the volume of milk collected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first complete cost analysis for an Italian Milk Bank. A thorough analysis could help to abate fixed costs and reduce the cost of a liter of DHM. The centralization of DHM can allow savings, rather than creating small HMBs scattered throughout the territory that would operate with lower milk volumes.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Bancos de Leche Humana
/
Leche Humana
Tipo de estudio:
Health_economic_evaluation
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Observational_studies
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Prevalence_studies
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Risk_factors_studies
Límite:
Child
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Female
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Humans
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Infant
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Newborn
País/Región como asunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Int Breastfeed J
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Italia
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido