Pasteurised Human Breast Milk: What, Why, When and How

Every mother wants the best for her baby and when it comes to nutrition there’s nothing better than breast milk. However, some mothers find it difficult to breastfeed. A woman may have become a mother through surrogacy, she may be unwell, she may have delivered triplets and thus her own breastmilk may be insufficient, etc. In such cases, what are the options you are left with? Feed your infant formula, rely on informal milk sharing or give your newborn pasteurised human breast milk?

As we all know infant formula may be able to give the baby nutrition but it cannot replicate the bioactive matrix of mother’s milk. And the medical community does not encourage informal milk sharing or letting other lactating mothers breastfeed your child. When you participate in informal milk sharing, you cannot guarantee that the milk has been stored hygienically and free from bacteria nor can you test whether the milk has been adulterated with anything.

So, if you find it difficult to express sufficient milk for your baby or your baby is born prematurely, organizations like the WHO, UNICEF and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics recommend giving him or her pasteurised human breast milk. Let us find out more about

Pasteurised human breast milk is safe for all babies. Milk banks that provide pasteurised breast milk have stringent safety protocols in place. All donors are screened for diseases like Hepatitis, HIV and blood-borne diseases as well as the use of prescribed medication, illegal drugs and tobacco.

They are also screened for having recently received blood transfusions or organ transplants. Once collected, the milk is handled hygienically and pasteurised (as recommended by World Health organisation – WHO). The process of pasteurisation itself kills all harmful pathogens without changing much else. All the nutrients and antibodies are retained and available to your baby.

Lastly, random pasteurised breast milk samples are tested from each batch to ensure that no bacteria or viruses have survived the pasteurisation process. It is then kept frozen until it is ready for use.

Babies are born with passive immunity passed down from their mothers through breastfeeding. After birth, it takes a few months before babies can develop their own immune system. Studies have shown that babies fed with human milk- pasteurised human breast milk , have a lower risk of infections. Premature babies fed with pasteurised breastmilk also require a shorter stay in the NICU as compared to infants who are fed infant formula. This is because pasteurised breastmilk is supplied by healthy mothers with strong immune systems who pass on passive immunity through the milk.

Before pasteurised human breast milk reaches a mother, it goes through several stages.

1. Donor recruitment and screening
Potential donors need to fill out questionnaires about their health and sign a consent form. They must also provide details about their lifestyle. A blood test is also conducted to screen for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, Syphilis and other blood-borne diseases.
2. Milk expression and collection
Approved donors can express milk at home or in the lab. Each bottle is labelled for easy identification. The collected milk is then shipped off to the processing facility.
3. Pasteurisation
Pasteurisation involves the use of heat to kill harmful pathogens. Donor breastmilk is heated in a water bath to a temperature of 62.5˚C and incubated at this temperature for 30 minutes. This process is consistent with guidelines issued by the WHO.
4. Testing
A random sample is taken from each batch to be tested for the presence of bacteria and viruses. The sample must pass the QC analysis and show zero microbial growth before it can be released for distribution.
5. Freezing
Once the quality tests are approved, Pasteurised human breast milk is frozen and stored in freezers. This is thawed only once when it is dispensed to babies. Please keep in mind that once thawed, Pasteurised human breast milk must not be re-frozen (it may be kept as liquid in the refrigerator) and consumed within 24 hours of thawing.

Between the two, pasteurised donor human milk is the safer choice. Here are some of the key differences:

1. Mother’s health screening
Pasteurised human breast milk is collected only from women who have passed stringent screening for infectious diseases, presence of harmful bacteria and viruses, blood-borne diseases and use of tobacco and illegal drugs. Unpasteurised donor milk is not subject to any such screening and thus may be collected from women who are suffering from infectious diseases or those who indulge in drugs.
2. Purity
Pasteurised human breast milk is guaranteed to be 100 per cent human breast milk while unpasteurised milk available through informal milk sharing platforms could be potentially adulterated with cow’s milk or infant formula.
3. Presence of pathogens
Pasteurised human breast milk is heat-treated to eliminate harmful viruses and bacteria. QC test ensure that no infectious agents remain in the milk.
On the other hand, unpasteurised breast milk undergoes no such testing and treatment to kill pathogens. Hence the milk may potentially contain bacteria and viruses that could put infants at risk of infections.