What is it about?
Storage of human breast milk by freezing or refrigeration with and without heating has been recommend. This can hardly be avoided because of the social circumstances of most mothers who are regularly separated from their infants because of work or schooling as well as the particular needs of some preterm or sick babies to be fed with expressed breast milk.
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Why is it important?
The greatest fear that has hampered the prospects of in-vitro milk storage for any considerable period of time is the possibility of bacteria contamination and growth of infectious pathogens in the stored milk, making them unsafe for human consumption. The expressed fears arising from the increased titratable acidity of such stored milk samples have been unfounded, since it has been shown to be mainly due to levels of free fatty acids, rather than lactic acid, which might have been produced by bacterial fermentation of milk sugars.
Perspectives
Evidence shows that temporary storage of human milk under appropriate conditions is not dangerous for babies and infants. This would further encourage the practice of prolonged exclusive breastfeeding and allow the families to reap its multi-fold benefits.
Dr Michael O Ogundele
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Postgraduate Medical Centre
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Techniques for the storage of human breast milk: implications for anti-microbial functions and safety of stored milk, European Journal of Pediatrics, October 2000, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s004310000577.
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