In response to Norma's and Pat's and Rachel's responses about re-using
expressed breastmilk, Rachel Brusseau did her senior thesis on this topic.
Her paper was called "Bacterial Analysis of Refrigerated Human Milk
Following Infant Feeding, written in 1998, and I think there was some
correspondence about this on Lactnet, maybe in May of that year. There is a
website address at the bottom of her paper -
http://pw1.netcom.com/~rbruss/family/thesis.html - ah yes, the date is 5/29/98.
Here is the summary: "The number of infants who are breastfed is on the
rise, as is the number of women in the worksforce. Many women who choose
breastfeeding after returning to work, express milk during the day and store
this milk for a future feeding. When infants do not finish a bottle of
expressed breastmilk, doctors recommend unfinished portions be thrown away.
This study examined bacterial levels in expressed, partially consumed
breastmilk that was stored for 48 hours at 4-6 degrees C. A portion of
unconsumed ilk was examined as a control. Samples were taken every 12 hours
for bacterial analysis. Tests were performed to identify total colony
counts, pathogenic Staphylococci, coliforms and b-hemolytic Streptococci.
This study showed no significatn difference between bottles that were
partially consumed and those that were not exposed to the baby's ount for 5
out of 6 participants. All milk samples had colony counts in the acceptable
range of <10 5 colony foring units per milliliter (CFU/ml). Although this
project provides evidence that it may be safe to refeed a child a bottle of
breastmilk, due to the small sample size, further tests should be performed."
Perhaps a search of the archives, under this title, Re-used EBM, might turn
up something?
Rachel, I understood the implications of this study to mean that re-used
breastmilk would be safe for healthy, full-term babies. If a baby is sick,
prem, hospitalized, I suggest that they receive their own mother's fresh
breastmilk which has not been stored in a refrigerator for longer than 24
hours - or as advised by their baby's paediatrician.
Pamela Morrison IBCLC, Zimbabwe
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