Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 11, 2025

Individualized Reconstitution of Human Milk Microbiota: A Feasible Approach in Real-World Settings
Published on: February 7, 2025
Migration of cyclohexanone and 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanone from a neonatal enteral feeding system into human milk
Preetha Prazad1, Ramona Donovan2, Brian Won3
1Advocate Children's Hospital, Park Ridge, IL, USA. Preetha.prazad@aah.org.
Objective:
Estimate the migration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which have been identified by the EPA as a public health concern, from the enteral feeding system into human milk.
Study Design:
Unfortified human milk samples were infused through an enteral feeding system with varying duration of infusion, incubator temperature, and pre-infusion tube priming. Purge & Trap analysis and GC/MS were used to identify the VOC profile of milk pre- and post-infusion.
Result:
Cyclohexanone and 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanone (3,3,5-TMC) accumulated significantly in milk samples post-infusion. Duration of infusion had a significant effect on VOC accumulation (p = 0.001). Accumulation patterns of cyclohexanone and 3,3,5-TMC differed significantly based on milk type (donor vs. mother's own milk).
Conclusions:
VOCs, migrate from plastic-based feeding equipment into human milk. Based on these findings, limiting the duration of feeding infusion would reduce VOC exposure derived from enteral feeding in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Related Concept Videos
Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism
Hepatic Drug Excretion: Enterohepatic Cycling
Post-release drugs and metabolites can be reabsorbed into the body from the intestine. For conjugated metabolites like glucuronides, reabsorption requires enzymatic hydrolysis by intestinal microflora. This...
Drug Excretion: Miscellaneous Routes
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Distribution

