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Subject:
From:
Susan Z Condon <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 14 Sep 1997 00:25:20 -0400
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Message text written by Lactation Information and Discussion
>Date:    Sat, 13 Sep 1997 17:14:16 -0400
From:    Cynthia Dillon Payne <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Breastmilk storage

We've had a lot of discussion lately about how long bm is good in the frig.
 The majority of you all seem to say 3 days or 3 to 5 days.  What about
milk
at room temp?  How long do you tell moms that milk is good at room temp
after
expression?  I was told by a WHO rep a few years ago that she tells mom
it's
good up to 12 hours!  :-O   I don't think too many pedi's would go for
that.
Cynthia D. Payne
LLL of Berkshire County Mass.<

Dear Cynthia:

The most currently published guidelines for milk storage that I've found
are in the rev. 1997 ed. Breastfeeding Answer Book by LLLI on page 188:

In a refrigerator, mature milk at 32 to 39 degrees F (0 to 4 degrees C) can
be stored for eight days with the study cited by Pardou 1994

At room temperature, mature milk at 60'F (15'C) for 24 hours (Hamosh 1996)
at 66 to 72'F (19 to 22'C) for 10 hours (Barger and Bull 1987)
at 79'F (25'C) four to six hours (Hamosh 1996; Pittard 1985)

The are also guidelines for term colostrum expressed within six days of
delivery and stored at room temp. and the freezer guidelines for mature
milk.  Sounds like your  WHO source has incomplete information because it
appears that length of time mature milk can remain at room temperature
depends on what room temp you are talking about.  To just say 12 hours
doesn't take into account this important factor.

Susan Condon, BA, CLC, San Francisco, CA

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