Copied from the Hospital Milk Storage Recs., 1999, p.16

Recommendation:
Warming Thawed Milk: Human milk should only be warmed to approx body temp (37C or 98.6F) and not be subjected to excessive heat. Warming milk for feeding can be done rapidly by holding the container under warm running tap water prior to use. Gentle swirling is also recommended to resuspend fats.
Rationale:
Milk needs to be warmed very little. Excessive heat destroys comonents which are beneficial to the premature and sick infant. For Ex: bile salt-dependent lipase is very sensitive to heat. BSSL activity is reduced by 15-20% when milk is kept at 38C or 100.4F for several hours, only slightly above body temp. (citations given)
Recommendation:
Only the amount of milk needed for a feeding should be warmed. Milk that has been warmed for a feeding but not used should be discarded.
Rationale:
Warming can initiate bacterial proliferation. (no citation given)

Same book, p.18
Recommendation:
Duration of Usage: Milk left in the feeding container after a feeding should be discarded and not re-used.
Rationale:
There is no research to suggest that refeeding partially fed bottles is safe.
Recommendation:
Thawed milk that has not been warmed for use or fed to the infant should be stored in the refrig and used within 24 hours.
Rationale: none given.
Many references are listed in the back of the book.

These are written by Lois Arnold of HMBANA for Infant NICUs. I don't know if they have printed an updated (4th) edition in the last 5 years. Any new research out there that applies to healthy, at-home, growing babies?

Phyllis in Phx



 >Hello fellow lactneters,
>I am mostly a lurker and value this group of collective wisdom like no
>other. I have had a question from a mom to which I can not find an easy
>evidenced based answer. She is wondering once she has warmed her EBM and
>given a partial bottle to her baby how long is the remaining milk " good" .


Can't answer that spcifically, but there is no need for the ebm to be
warmed - it's fine straight from the fridge, even. If the baby
doesn't like it as cold as that, then you might want to warm it, but
most babies aren't bothered.

There is some UK research to show how dangerous warming milk is -
there is a risk of scalds.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, UK

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