The provision of bacteriologically safe infant feeds in hospitals

Infant feeds, to be safe, must be free from potentially pathogenic organisms but not necessarily sterile. In-bottle terminal heating is the preferred means of producing such feeds and the advantages and disadvantages of high and low pressure heating methods, including the effect upon the food value of the feeds, are discussed. The safety of a low pressure method in use in Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow is described. The choice of method of provision of safe feeds; terminal heating in a central milk kitchen or obtaining a commercial supply should be decided on economic grounds. Hospitals using such commercial supplies, however, should make provision for training mothers in the hypochlorite method of disinfection of bottles and teats and also ensure that their trainee nurses and midwives still receive adequate instruction in the hygiene of feed preparation.