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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #67280
Title: DOES NUTRIENT FORTIFICATION ALTER HOST DEFENSE PROPERTIES OF HUMAN MILK?

Author
item JOCSON, MARIA - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item MASON, E - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item HURST, NANCY - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE
item SCHANLER, RICHARD - BAYLOR COLL OF MEDICINE

Submitted to: Pediatrics
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The effects of nutrient fortification and storage on the host defense properties of human milk are important considerations in the use of human milk for feeding low birth weight (LBW) infants. We hypothesized that the host defense properties of human milk were not affected by the addition of commercial nutrient fortifiers. We measured total bacterial colony counts (TBCC) in ten frozen (and subsequently thawed) and five fresh single donor human milk pools obtained from mothers of LBW infants. Each pool was fractionated into unfortified and standard, commercially fortified milk, and then stored for 0, 24, 48, and 72h either at room or refrigerator temperature. TBCC analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA, were significantly greater in fortified vs unfortified milk (p=0.017); both increased over time (p less than 0.001). Results were independent of storage conditions and whether fresh or frozen milk was utilized. Although the effects of nutrient fortification warrant consideration of ho human milk is used in the NICU, caution is advised in that the magnitude of the differences in TBCC were small and may not be of biological importance.