Bacterial contamination of breast milk collected through manual expression and stored at room temperature

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To the determine the bacterial contamination profile of unheated expressed breast milk, collected without rigid hygienic precautions and stored at room temperature for nine hours. The purpose was to give poor lactating mothers the alternative of storing their own milk out of refrigerator. A research on cultural, social and economical aspects as well as on donatorś knowledge about breastfeeding was considered necessary. METHODS: 35 donators were interviewed and an experimental investigation was performed with 33 samples of breast milk stored at room temperature (17 masculine C to 30.5 masculine C) and bacteriologically analyzed at zero, three, six and nine hours after collection. The same breast milk was stored at refrigerator (2 masculine C to 6 masculine C) as a control procedure. Total count of bacterial contents and identification of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were evaluated.RESULTS: The enterviews revealed the low socio-economical and cultural level of lactating mothers and their little experience in expressing, collecting and using their own milk. Bacteriological data analysis showed mesophyllous average of 7.1x10(3)UFC/mL, acceptable outline of bacterial contamination, despite the use of a simplified hygiene technique. After nine hours, samples stored at room temperature showed final average of bacterial contents similar to the first ones (7.3x10(3)UFC/mL) and without relevant statistic differences from the ones kept under refrigeration (p=0.05) for studied bacterias.CONCLUSION: This study shows that it is possible to use unprocessed breast milk for babýs consumption if it is stored at room temperatures until nine hours after it has been collected. However, mothers have to be told about the possibility of storing breast milk for babies later consumption.