Adding mother’s own milk to pasteurised donor milk helps make it more personalised

Quick Summary: A recent study shows inoculating 10% volume of mother’s own milk added to pasteurised donor milk can help restore the personalised milk microbiome. This could be especially helpful for preterm babies needing donor milk.

Why is human milk so special?

Human milk is is the best food for a newborn.

It contains many bioactive compounds and beneficial bacteria. The beneficial bacteria in breast milk are personalised to each mother/baby dyad.

The beneficial bacteria present in a mother’s breast milk promote the establishment of a healthy microbiome in the baby’s gut.

About donor milk

However, if a mother’s own breast milk is not available, donor human milk collected from breastfeeding donor mothers can be the second-best option.

Pasteurised donor human milk (PDHM) is especially important for preterm babies, if a mother is unable to either breastfeed or express her milk.

To ensure the safety of the milk, donor milk from Human Milk Banks (HMBs) is…