You may have this question: “Does breast milk spoil?” Mothers who express their milk and give it to their babies may find it wrong. In this article, we tell the signs of spoilage of breast milk and suggest some tips to prevent this from happening. Stay with us.
Symptoms of spoilage of breast milk
1. Unpleasant appearance
After milking the mother’s milk and pouring it into a particular container, it is usually divided into two layers: milk and cream. The milk fat rises and forms the cream layer; the remaining bottom layer is the milk layer. Quick rotation and shaking combine the two layers if the milk is healthy. If the milk layers are still separated after several times of rotation, the milk is probably damaged.
2. sour smell
The smell of each mother’s milk may differ from that of another mother’s milk. This change in smell is caused by several factors, such as the mother’s diet and medications. Some mothers say their milk smells like soap due to its high lipase. In such a case, it is not easy to determine whether the milk is spoiled or healthy. However, you can make sure whether the milk is healthy or wrong with a test.
To test milk, freeze a small amount of breast milk for a week. After a week, let the milk ice open and check the smell. If the milk has too much lipase, it smells like soap, metal, or fish. However, milk is suitable for children. You can inactivate lipase activity by boiling breast milk. If the milk is sour or rotten, it has undergone chemical oxidation. This milk is spoiled and should be thrown away. You can mix stored milk with equal parts of freshly expressed milk to dilute the soapy taste and encourage the baby to nurse.
3. Unpleasant taste
Taste the milk before storing it. If the milk tastes sour, it is probably spoiled. To evaluate the milk’s health, you can do the test we mentioned in the previous section: keep the milk for a week and assess the changes in taste. The taste of soap, metal, or milkfish is likely due to its high lipase. Expressed milk should not be stored in the refrigerator for more than four days. Staying more milk in the fridge will spoil it.
What happens if a baby consumes spoiled milk?
Now you know whether breast milk spoils and the signs of spoiled milk. However, sometimes you may not know that your stored milk has spoiled and feed the baby with sour milk. This section tells us the symptoms of feeding a baby with sour milk.
1. Refusal to breastfeed
Experts believe that the baby’s constant refusal to breastfeed indicates that the baby does not like the taste of milk. Check the taste of your milk if your baby keeps refusing or is restless while feeding.
2. Frequent spitting up or vomiting
Babies have a sensitive digestive system, and if they eat spoiled milk, they suffer from digestive disorders such as diarrhea and vomiting. Another sign of sour milk is a change in the frequency of defecation or the type of stool. If your baby has increased bowel movements, watery stools, or other digestive problems, check the stored milk and consult your pediatrician.
3. to have a fever
Although a child’s fever is not a common symptom in this case, some children may develop a mild to severe fever after consuming spoiled milk. Usually, a child has a fever when bacteria have contaminated the milk due to a lack of hygiene. In such cases, children develop a fever a few hours after eating spoiled stored milk, often accompanied by other symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
4. Severe infection
In rare cases, feeding a baby with spoiled milk may lead to dangerous infections such as Cronobacter Sakazakii. This infection may cause severe problems for the baby’s health. That is why following all the tips on storing breast milk properly is essential.
5. dehydration
Another symptom that may occur due to the consumption of spoiled milk is dehydration, which leads to drowsiness, excessive restlessness, and dark and less-than-usual urine.
Tips to prevent spoiled breast milk
In this section, we will tell you the points that you must follow to maintain the health of the milk:
- Before expressing milk, wash your hands and breasts with soap and water.
- After each use, clean and disinfect the milk dispenser and accessories, including milk storage containers.
- Close the bottle or milk storage container tightly to prevent the milk from chemical oxidation and absorbing the smell of other vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator.
- Before giving expressed milk to the baby, evaluate its health by checking the milk’s taste, color, and consistency.
- Refrigerate the milk immediately after milking. Milk stored at 40°F (4°C) can be used for 4 to 6 days.
- Do not freeze milk to increase its shelf life.
- Place the milk container in the farthest part of the refrigerator, which has the lowest and most stable temperature, because opening and closing the door does not affect it.
- If you can’t immediately put the milk in the refrigerator, leave the milk storage container on a cool towel for a few minutes. Freshly expressed mother’s milk can be used for up to 4 hours at 16 to 29 degrees Celsius.
- The longer the milk is left out, the more likely it is to spoil.
you say
In your opinion, what other factors affect the spoilage of breast milk? Please share your valuable comments and experiences with us and our dear users.
Warning! This article is only for educational purposes; to use it, it is necessary to consult a doctor or specialist.
