Is Breast Milk Collected at Home Suitable for Raw Consumption by Neonates in Brazilian Public Neonatal Intensive Care Units?

Abstract

This study was designed to verify if breast milk collected at home is appropriate for raw consumption by neonates in a Brazilian public neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). From May 1998 to February 2000, microbiological characteristics of breast milk samples collected at home were analyzed. The milk samples were considered appropriate for raw consumption if mesophilic bacteria count was < 2500 CFU/mL and potential pathogens were not detected. Of 90 milk samples collected from 32 mothers of hospitalized neonates, 36 (40%) were rejected because of potentially pathogenic bacteria (72.2%), mesophilic bacteria count > or = 2500 CFU/mL (13.9%), and both conditions (13.9%). The most frequent nonpathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus coagulase negative and Klebsiella pneumoniae, respectively. Using univariate analysis, demographic, socioeconomic, educational, and house characteristics were not found to be associated with milk contamination. Breast milk collected at home may not be appropriate for raw consumption in Brazilian NICUs. Pasteurization could improve its microbiological quality. Further studies are needed.

A pilot study on nutrients, antimicrobial proteins, and bacteria in commerce‐free models for exchanging expressed human milk in the USA

“…Landers and Updegrove () cultured 810 individual samples from 219 approved donors to the Mothers' Milk Bank of Austin (Austin, TX, USA) and 303 pools of milk from multiple donors prior to pasteurization and found that over 75% of individual and pooled samples exhibited some growth, with coagulase‐negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) predominating. CoNS species, part of the normal flora of human skin and a causative agent in nosocomial infections (Becker, Heilmann, & Peters, ), have been reported by others (de Almeida Castanho Rozolen, Goulart, & Kopelman, ; Law, Urias, Lertzman, Robson, & Romance, ; Lindemann, Foshaugen, & Lindemann, ; Thompson, Pickler, Munro, & Shotwell, ) as the dominant strain in human milk. A study of 69 screened donors to the Ulleval University Hospital milk bank (Oslo, Norway) reported CoNS in 85% of samples and S. aureus in 13% of samples (Lindemann et al, ).…”

A Study on Microbial and Macronutrient Composition of Breast Milk Varies with Lactation Duration

“…Infants birth weight was recorded by verbal recall from any of the parent or from the birth documents. Postpartum period (or lactation period) was calculated by subtracting date of data collection from the date of delivery, and considered as low birth weight (LBW) [5].…”

Identification of Sensitive Raw Materials at A Milk Preparation Room of A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital

“…The infant's mother will bring the EBMH to the NICU and it will be kept frozen at -18 ℃ to -25 ℃. Rozolen et al (2006) report that the EBMH may not be suitable for feeding infants admitted in Brazil's NICUs, unless it is pasteurised. The EBMH in this NICU was pasteurised at 62.5 ℃ for 30 minutes, similar to the DEBM.…”