Factors associated with breastfeeding mothers’ willingness to recommend human milk banks: a single-centre cross-sectional study in Türkiye

Background Donor human milk is the recommended alternative when a mother’s own milk is unavailable, especially for high-risk infants. Türkiye has no operational human milk bank, and the attitudes of actively breastfeeding mothers are poorly characterised.Aim To describe the knowledge, attitudes and concerns of actively breastfeeding mothers regarding human milk banks and to identify factors associated with their willingness to recommend one.Methods In this single-centre, cross-sectional study, 310 actively breastfeeding mothers with infants aged 0–6 months were recruited by consecutive sampling at a training and research hospital (March—May 2025). Data were collected using an interviewer-administered, 32-item questionnaire that was content-validated and piloted (not a formally validated scale). Associations were assessed with chi-square tests and binary logistic regression reporting adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results Only 37.1% of mothers were willing to recommend a human milk bank, 40.3% were unwilling and 22.6% undecided. Educational level was the only independent predictor of willingness to recommend (adjusted OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.15–2.20, p = 0.005); knowledge and employment were not significant after adjustment. Knowledge of milk banking was higher among mothers who were not employed (44.5% vs 14.5%, p < 0.001). Religious and moral concerns were prominent among those opposing a milk bank (21.9%, and the distribution of concerns differed significantly according to mothers’ views on establishment (p < 0.001).Conclusion Willingness to recommend was low but broadly consistent with international figures. Higher education was associated with greater willingness yet appears necessary rather than sufficient, as many reservations are religious or cultural. Expanding milk banking in Türkiye will require culturally sensitive engagement alongside public-awareness activities.