At the hospital where I work, the question has come up regarding whether or
not it is safe to thaw frozen breastmilk in the refrigerator. I have
searched the archives, but nothing about thawing milk?

In the, 'THE GIFT OF MOTHERHOOD,Your Personal Journey Through Prepared
Childbirth', by Dianne E. Moran and G. Byron Kallam, 1997 Customized
Communications, Inc.   I quote from a chart in the
book, "It is best not to thaw in refrigerator: it enables bacterial growth.
Best to run it under faucet with gradual warming water."

The bibliography at the end of this childbirth book cites Breastfeeding and
Human Lactation, 1993 and the Breastfeeding Educator Program Manual from
Wichita
General.  When I went to Auerbach's 1993 version, I found on page 408, "It
is inappropriate to thaw milk overnight, this practice encourages bacterial
growth."  This does not say at what temperature it is thawed overnight, just
not to thaw it overnight.  Common sense with most frozen foods is not to
thaw at room temperature but does thawing in the refrigerator cause
bacterial growth?  I think not. Refrigeration prevents it.

In Lawrence's 1994 ed., the table, entitled Storage of Human milk for Home
Use, page 807: "Previously frozen (milk) thawed in refrigerator but not
warmed or used, can be stored in refrigerator for 24 hours."  This table is
adapted from the "Recommendations of The Milk Banking Association of North
America."    Have these recommendations been updated in the past few years?

Does anyone have references for specific methods of defrosting
human milk?

Cathy Carnaby, RNC, IBCLC
Omaha, Nebraska
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