What does the research show?  All of this is expressed opinions.  I saw one research study conducted as a side study when the researcher was looking at Stem cells in breast milk.  Stem cells are killed by freezing.  The objective of the study was to look at how long they survived in breast milk, and how long could breast milk be refrigerated without excessive bacterial growth.  What they found is that the bacterial count in breast milk depended on the technique used by the moms in cleaning the pump kit.  Careful attention to aseptic technique and placing the cleaned equipment on a clean, covered surface resulted in NO bacterial growth at 7 days.  The bacterial growth was associated with the care taken with the equipment.  Now if anyone wants to defend the refrigerator method - it DOES make some sense - the best way to do that is to DO it and culture the equipment and the breast milk obtained with the equipment.  And that is not manufacturer dependent - unless the materials used in the pump kit are more or less conducive to harboring bacteria. When we are dealing with NICU babies, it is important to not make assumptions about what is safe without research to back us up.  Dr. Wight has previously mentioned about babies getting seratia when it was found in the breast milk.  We have seen it here also, and it was found coming from sink handles when the mom touched them after handling plant dirt (the origin).  There are many factors involved, many situations in environments that we may not be aware of.  Just sayin'.

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judy LeVan Fram
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2013 4:07 PM
Subject: Re: Medela Cleaning Instructions

Kathy  writes:

Medela's  instructions now state that pump parts should be taken apart and scrubbed  after each use in soap and water and santized in boiling water for
10 minutes  daily. I called the company to find out why the instructions state that it is  necessary to sanitize daily for 10 minutes and was told that this was because  women were getting so sloppy and not cleaning well and they wanted to send a  message about how necessary it was to take care of the pump.
~~~
Darn, we just not that long ago started suggesting that rinsing well after each pumping, then washing well with hot soapy water and rinsing well with clear  water every 4-6 hours made moms lives much easier and seemed to be enough. (  And  I did read that suggestion from professionals on this list and was so  grateful to be able to share that with families.) "Women were getting so sloppy"  sounds like a company very supportive of moms...
I also would like to hear from others wiser than I am on this topic...thanks for bringing it up. Has Ameda or Hygeia changed their  recommendations?
 
Peace,
Judy  

Judy LeVan  Fram, PT, IBCLC, LLLL
Brooklyn, NY,  USA
[log in to unmask]

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome