A simplified system of human milk banking

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Human milk banking
• Infant nutrition

Background:

• Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) require safe and accessible human milk for vulnerable infants.
• Traditional milk banking methods can be complex and may degrade milk components.
• A simplified storage system is needed to maintain the nutritional and immunological integrity of human milk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a simplified human milk banking system for NICU use.
• To assess the impact of short-term (1 week) and medium-term (1 month) storage at -20°C on human milk.
• To analyze the preservation of key nutritional and immunological components in stored human milk.

Main Methods:

• Twenty human milk samples were collected via hand pump from mothers.
• Samples were divided and stored at -20°C for 1 week and 1 month.
• Analyses included microbial counts, cell viability, bacteriostatic activity, immunoglobulin levels (IgA, IgM, IgF), lactoferrin, lysozyme, complement proteins (C3, C4), amino acids, and fatty acids.

Main Results:

• No pathogens were detected in any samples.
• Staphylococcus albus counts remained stable post-storage.
• Approximately 19% of original milk cells remained viable after freezing.
• A slight loss of bacteriostatic activity was observed after 1 month, less than with pasteurization.
• Levels of immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, lysozyme, complement proteins, amino acids, and fatty acids were unchanged.

Conclusions:

• Simplified storage of human milk at -20°C for up to one month is safe and convenient for NICU settings.
• This method effectively preserves crucial nutritional and immunological components vital for preterm and sick infants.
• The findings support the viability of this approach for improving access to beneficial raw breast milk for vulnerable neonates.