Bacteriological criteria for feeding raw breast-milk to babies on neonatal units.
Aerobic cultures of 207 samples of drip breast-milk from seventy mothers in hospital showed that 6 (3%) were sterile and 170 (82%) contained only the commensal organisms coagulase-negative staphylococci and Streptococcus viridans. 25 (15%) grew potential pathogens--Staphylococcus aureus in 13 (6%); enterobacteria in 15 (7%); and group-B streptococci in 3 (2%). It is proposed that milk with commensals in any numbers may be considered for use unheated but not milk containing any potential pathogens.
D000332:Aerobiosis; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007225:Infant Food; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*