What is it about?
Human milk is the best nutrition for preterm infants, but it is not sterile and can sometimes carry harmful bacteria. This report describes a case of Enterobacter sepsis in a preterm neonate who was fed his mother's milk containing the same pathogen.
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Why is it important?
Most cases of infection associated with human milk occur due to contamination during collection and storage. In this case, however, Enterobacter was identified in the mother's fresh milk, and the mother was treated for Enterobacter infection before safely feeding her infant.
Perspectives
While human milk is generally beneficial, there may be unrecognized maternal and neonatal factors that increase the risk of infection in preterm neonates who are fed human milk contaminated with harmful bacteria. Identification of these factors may help prevent sepsis in the NICU and improve neonatal outcomes.
Dr Mark F Weems
University of Tennessee
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mother's Milk as a Source ofEnterobacter cloacaeSepsis in a Preterm Infant, Breastfeeding Medicine, December 2015, Mary Ann Liebert Inc,
DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2015.0146.
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