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Human milk pasteurization: benefits and risks

Deborah L O'Connor1, Julia B Ewaschuk, Sharon Unger

  • 1aDepartment of Nutritional Sciences bDepartment of Paediatrics and Neonatology, University of Toronto cPhysiology and Experimental Medicine Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto dDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton eDepartment of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|March 14, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Nutrient-enriched human milk, often pasteurized donor milk, is optimal for preterm, very low birth weight infants (VLBW). Pasteurization ensures safety while largely preserving nutritional and immunological benefits for improved VLBW infant outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Nutrition
  • Human Milk Science
  • Infant Health

Background:

  • Optimal nutrition for preterm, very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500g) involves nutrient-enriched human milk.
  • Pasteurized donor milk is increasingly utilized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in North America.
  • Growing availability of donor milk necessitates a review of its safety and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent evidence on the risks and benefits of human milk pasteurization.
  • To summarize outcomes associated with providing pasteurized donor milk to VLBW preterm infants.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature.
  • Analysis of studies on human milk collection, storage, and pasteurization.
  • Evaluation of impacts on nutritional, immunological, and bacteriostatic properties.

Main Results:

  • Pasteurization partially reduces human milk bioactivity but significantly mitigates contamination risks.
  • Ongoing research explores novel pasteurization methods to better preserve milk's beneficial properties.
  • Studies indicate that pasteurized donor milk remains a valuable nutritional source for VLBW infants.

Conclusions:

  • Provision of human milk, including pasteurized donor milk, is linked to enhanced outcomes in preterm VLBW infants.
  • Pasteurization is a critical step in ensuring the safety of donor human milk for vulnerable infants.
Abstract

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