Recommendations for Handling of Mother's Own Milk

Abstract

Often, mothers must express their milk so it can be fed to their babies in their absence or at a later time. Research has shown that human milk is remarkably resilient as long as good food-handling techniques are used. There are some measures that can be taken to optimize both the nutritional value and the immunologic protection if the milk is to be fed to a preterm or sick infant rather than to a healthy baby who is primarily breastfeeding. Keeping milk-handling and storage instructions simple and clear can encourage a mother to provide milk for her baby when she cannot breastfeed.