ABM Clinical Protocol #8: Human Milk Storage Information for Home Use for Full-Term Infants, Revised 2017

Abstract

A central goal of The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is the development of clinical protocols, free from commercial interest or influence, for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success. These protocols serve only as guidelines for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants and do not delineate an exclusive course of treatment or serve as standards of medical care. Variations in treatment may be appropriate according to the needs of an individual patient .

Background

breastfeeding mothers may encounter unforeseen reasons for separation from their infants, but more often women express and store milk for planned events, lifestyle flexibility, and returning to work. Knowledge of appropriate human milk handling and storage is essential for breastfeeding success in these situations. One study indicated that although most women store their milk as recommended, ~12% heated their milk in a microwave, and 17% rinsed bottle nipples/teats with only water before reuse, which may reduce the milk’s biological properties and increase risk of contamination, respectively. Another study showed that neonatal nurses’ knowledge and practice of breast milk collection and storage were adequate, however, there was inadequacy related to discarding, storing, and thawing breast milk.

Human milk is a fresh, living food with many antioxidant, antibacterial, prebiotic, probiotic, and immune-boosting properties in addition to nutrients. Although some of these nutrients and health properties change with storage, there is good evidence that human milk storage can be safe, allowing provision of optimal nutrition to the child when breastfeeding or immediately expressed milk is not available. When direct breastfeeding is not possible, stored human milk maintains unique qualities, such that it continues to be the gold standard for infant feeding.