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Donor human milk pasteurization methods and the effect on milk components as they relate to Necrotizing enterocolitis
Laiken Price1, Kelly A Orgel2, Misty Good2
1Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
|April 25, 2025
Summary
Human milk protects preterm infants from necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). This review examines milk
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Nutritional science
- Microbiology
Background:
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) predominantly affects preterm infants, with no definitive treatments.
- Human milk offers protection against NEC, but its composition varies significantly.
- Donor human milk is used when maternal milk is unavailable, undergoing processing like pasteurization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature on human milk's benefits in NEC prevention.
- To examine bioactive components and the human milk microbiome.
- To explore factors influencing milk composition and pasteurization effects.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on human milk, NEC, bioactive components, microbiome, and pasteurization.
- Analysis of factors affecting human milk composition.
- Evaluation of pasteurization methods and their impact on milk.
Main Results:
- Human milk is a key factor in preventing NEC in preterm infants.
- Milk composition is dynamic, influenced by maternal and perinatal factors.
- Pasteurization methods can alter the bioactive components of donor human milk.
Conclusions:
- Human milk is crucial for NEC prevention in vulnerable infants.
- Understanding milk composition and processing is vital for optimizing its protective effects.
- Further research is needed on pasteurization's impact on milk's NEC-preventive properties.
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