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Can Breast Milk Kept Stored At Room Temprature Be Given To The Baby?

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Posted on Thu, 15 May 2014
Question: My wife is pumping her milk to feed our baby. Today she pumped and kept the bottle in office refrigerator for around 5 hrs. Later She brought the bottle to home by keeping in bag. Then she forgot to keep the bottle again in fridge. It was in the room temperature for nearly 6 hrs and later only she remembered and kept it back in fridge. We are not sure if we can use that milk to feed the baby or it must be thrown out. Please let us know.
And also, if we take already refrigerated milk out and heated for feeding the baby, how much time can that milk be out in room temperature? And after feeding, can we keep the remaining milk in the same bottle again back in the fridge for later usage?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Irshad H Naqvi (25 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Avoid it. fresh milk to be used always.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome to the HCM
In my opinion;
It will be better to avoid such milk kept for more than 5 to 6 hours with out boiling.
Refrigerated milk should be boiled properly before feeding to the baby. Simply heating is not ok.
Once the bottle is used, remaining milk should not be reused. better to discard it. And also bottle should also be boiled after every feed.
Hope the query is answered.
Please feel free for further clarification.
Thanks

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Irshad H Naqvi (22 minutes later)
Doctor, in the Internet, all the pages say never to boil the breast milk and just warm it using bottle warmer or keeping the bottle in hot water for some time. But you say to boil the milk.. Can boiling be done? please confirm
doctor
Answered by Dr. Irshad H Naqvi (22 hours later)
Brief Answer:
For 11 hrs milk not utilized. better discard it.

Detailed Answer:
Hi
For 5 hours the milk was kept at office and again it was kept in room temperature for about 6 hours means around 11 hours the milk was not utilized.
Now either this milk is to be discarded or if it is still to be used then possibility of bacterial infection are always there, so better to sterile it by boiling.
Boiling causes loss of lot of nutrients and many useful elements but it is better to avoid to taking possible infected milk with out sterilizing/boiling.
Hope the query is answered.
Thanks
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Irshad H Naqvi

Pediatrician

Practicing since :1989

Answered : 1194 Questions

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Can Breast Milk Kept Stored At Room Temprature Be Given To The Baby?

Brief Answer: Avoid it. fresh milk to be used always. Detailed Answer: Hi, Welcome to the HCM In my opinion; It will be better to avoid such milk kept for more than 5 to 6 hours with out boiling. Refrigerated milk should be boiled properly before feeding to the baby. Simply heating is not ok. Once the bottle is used, remaining milk should not be reused. better to discard it. And also bottle should also be boiled after every feed. Hope the query is answered. Please feel free for further clarification. Thanks