Bridging the Milk Gap: Integrating a Human Milk Bank-Blood Bank Model to Reinforce Lactation Support and Neonatal Care

Jacqueline Barin^{1

2}, Jeremy Touati³, Agathe Martin³, Carole Fletgen Richard⁴, Ralf J Jox^{5

6}, Stefano Fontana^{6

7}, Hélène Legardeur⁴, Nathalie Amiguet¹, Isabelle Henriot^{1

2}, Christelle Kaech⁸, Aurélia Belat³, Jean-François Tolsa¹, Michel Prudent^{3

9

10

11}, Céline J Fischer Fumeaux^{1

2

6}

Affiliations

¹ Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Interdisciplinary Perinatal Unit for Breastfeeding Support and Infant Nutrition, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Laboratoire de Préparation Cellulaire et d'Analyses, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
⁴ Gynaecology-Obstetrics, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Unité d'Éthique Clinique, Institut des Humanités en Médecine, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁷ Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 3008 Bern, Switzerland.
⁸ HESAV School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁹ Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Produits Sanguins, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹¹ Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 40507034
PMCID: PMC12158243
DOI: 10.3390/nu17111765

Bridging the Milk Gap: Integrating a Human Milk Bank-Blood Bank Model to Reinforce Lactation Support and Neonatal Care

Jacqueline Barin et al. Nutrients. 2025.

. 2025 May 23;17(11):1765.

doi: 10.3390/nu17111765.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Clinic of Neonatology, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Interdisciplinary Perinatal Unit for Breastfeeding Support and Infant Nutrition, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Laboratoire de Préparation Cellulaire et d'Analyses, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
⁴ Gynaecology-Obstetrics, Department of Mother-Woman-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Unité d'Éthique Clinique, Institut des Humanités en Médecine, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁷ Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 3008 Bern, Switzerland.
⁸ HESAV School of Health Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁹ Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Produits Sanguins, Transfusion Interrégionale CRS, 1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
¹⁰ Center for Research and Innovation in Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹¹ Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.

PMID: 40507034
PMCID: PMC12158243
DOI: 10.3390/nu17111765

Abstract

Mother's own milk (MOM) offers the highest protection for preterm and low birth weight infants. However, breastfeeding can be challenging during neonatal hospitalization. When MOM is unavailable, donor human milk (DHM) is the recommended alternative for feeding vulnerable neonates. Human milk banks (HMBs) collect, process, and deliver DHM, playing a key role in lactation support and promoting MOM availability. Although HMBs are expanding globally, scale-up remains hindered, restricting equitable DHM access. In Switzerland, despite the existence of eight HMBs, the western region lacked such a facility until 2022. To address this gap, an interdisciplinary team from the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and the Swiss Red Cross Interregional Blood Transfusion Centre (TIR) collaborated to establish a regional HMB. This partnership leveraged both institutions' available expertise, infrastructure, and resources. After two years of preparation, the CHUV Lactarium launched in 2022 with the support of the Department of Health and Social Action (DSAS) of the Canton of Vaud. This novel human milk bank-blood bank model is fully integrated into the hospital's neonatal care, nutrition, and breastfeeding programs, operating under a strict quality and coordination system. Since its implementation, the HMB has met 100% of DHM needs, with an 80% breastfeeding bridging rate. It has had a positive impact on neonatal care, family engagement, professional interest, and community awareness of human milk. This case study illustrates how synergistic collaboration can help bridge gaps in establishing a safe, efficient, and equitable HMB model. It also offers a scalable framework adaptable to other settings.

Keywords: Lactarium; Swiss health system; breastfeeding; donor human milk; human milk; human milk bank; infant nutrition; lactation; medical product of human origin; preterm infant; substance of human origin; transfusion; vulnerable neonate.

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Conflict of interest statement

All the authors have been implicated in the CHUV Lactarium implementation. Jacqueline Barin, Carole Fletgen Richard, Ralf J. Jox, Hélène Legardeur, Nathalie Amiguet, Isabelle Henriot, Jean-François Tolsa, Michel Prudent, and Céline J. Fischer Fumeaux are employees at the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). Jeremy Touati, Agathe Martin, Stefano Fontana, Aurélia Belat, and Michel Prudent are employees at the Transfusion Interrégionale CRS. The CHUV Lactarium is a nonprofit organization, supported by the Department of Health and Social Action (DSAS) of the Canton of Vaud, without commercial funding.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Human milk banks in Switzerland (year of establishment) and volumes of donor human milk collected in 2021. Map source: Swiss Federal Statistical Office.

**Figure 2**
Circuit of donor human milk and CHUV-TIR partnership organization of the *CHUV Lactarium*.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Bridging the Milk Gap: Integrating a Human Milk Bank-Blood Bank Model to Reinforce Lactation Support and Neonatal Care

Affiliations

Bridging the Milk Gap: Integrating a Human Milk Bank-Blood Bank Model to Reinforce Lactation Support and Neonatal Care

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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