A detailed explanation of breast milk culture for sterility (microflora): why is this analysis needed and can its results be trusted? Breast milk analysis: when it needs to be donated and where it can be done How to properly collect breast milk

It was previously believed that breast milk was completely sterile, but numerous studies have proven that this is not entirely true. Various microorganisms may still be present in milk. These are mainly representatives of opportunistic microflora, which most often exist quietly on the skin, mucous membranes, and in the intestines and do not cause any harm. However, under certain conditions (decreased immunity, chronic diseases, general weakening of the body after an infectious disease, intestinal dysbiosis) they begin to multiply rapidly, causing various diseases.
The main bacteria that can live in breast milk are: staphylococci (epidermal and aureus), enterobacteria, Klebsiella, and Candida fungi.
The most dangerous of this company is considered Staphylococcus aureus. It is he who, having penetrated the mammary gland, can cause purulent mastitis in a nursing mother. And once in the baby’s body along with breast milk, staphylococcus can cause diseases such as:

• enterocolitis (frequent, loose, watery stools, abdominal pain, fever, frequent regurgitation, vomiting);
• purulent inflammation on the skin;
• phenomena of intestinal dysbiosis (frequent stools, excessive gas formation, accompanied by bloating and the release of a large amount of gas during bowel movements, frequent regurgitation, the appearance of undigested lumps in the stool, change in the color of the stool - yellow-green, the color of swamp mud). Staphylococcus aureus is protected on the outside by a capsule, which helps it penetrate organs and tissues without being destroyed. After the invasion, it begins to release toxic substances that have a destructive effect on the structure of cells. This type of staphylococcus is very resistant to various external factors, and it can be very difficult to “expel” it from the body. Other microorganisms that settle in breast milk can also cause a lot of trouble.
• Fungi of the genus Candida, hemolyzing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella, which penetrate into the baby through breast milk, are capable of fermenting glucose, sucrose and lactose, thereby forming a large amount of gas. This, in turn, causes pain, bloating and diarrhea in the child.

How do microbes get into milk?

Microorganisms enter breast milk mainly through the skin. This can happen if the baby is incorrectly applied to the breast, the breast is incorrectly removed from his mouth, or mistakes are made when caring for the mammary glands. In such cases, microtraumas and cracks in the nipples may appear, which are the entrance gates for infection to enter the mammary glands and, accordingly, into breast milk.
Who “lives” in milk?
You can find out which microbes live in breast milk and in what quantities by doing a special study, the so-called milk sowing.

Allows you to detect various pathogenic microorganisms in it, determine their quantity and, if necessary, determine sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.
All breastfeeding women do not necessarily have to have their milk tested to find out if it is dangerous for the baby. Such a study should be carried out only in cases where there is a suspicion of infectious diseases in the baby or inflammatory diseases of the mammary gland in the mother.
In what cases should milk be tested? The indications will be as follows.
From the child's side:

• recurring purulent-inflammatory skin diseases;
• dysbacteriosis;
• prolonged diarrhea (frequent loose stools) with greens and mucus.

From mom's side:

• signs of mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland) - chest pain, increased body temperature, redness of the skin of the mammary gland, purulent discharge from it.

How to collect milk for analysis?

When collecting breast milk for analysis, it is important to understand that you must try to eliminate the possibility of bacteria from getting from the skin into the milk. Otherwise, the research result may be unreliable. There are certain rules for collecting breast milk for culture.

1. First of all, you need to prepare a container for expressed milk. These can be sterile disposable plastic cups (you can buy them at the pharmacy) or clean glass jars, which must first be boiled with a lid for 15–20 minutes.
2. There should be two containers for expressed milk, since milk for analysis from each mammary gland is collected separately. The containers should be marked from which breast the milk was taken.
3. Before pumping, wash your hands and breasts with warm water and soap.
4. The first 5–10 ml of expressed milk is not suitable for testing and should be discarded. After this, the required amount of breast milk (5-10 ml from each mammary gland will be required for analysis) must be expressed into prepared sterile containers and tightly closed with lids.

In the laboratory, milk is sown on a special nutrient medium. After about 5–7 days, colonies of various microbes grow on it. Next, they determine which group of pathogens these microorganisms belong to and count their number.

Should you breastfeed if you have mastitis?

If microbes are present in breast milk, the nursing mother should consult a doctor. Only he can decide whether treatment should be carried out or not. The World Health Organization (WHO) believes that the detection of bacteria in breast milk is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. The fact is that all pathogenic microorganisms, penetrating the body of a nursing mother, stimulate the production of special protective proteins - antibodies, which reach the baby during feeding and protect him. That is, if some microorganisms are detected in the milk, but there are no signs of disease (purulent mastitis), breastfeeding will be safe, since along with the milk the child receives protection from infections.

If staphylococcus is detected in breast milk, treatment with antibacterial drugs is prescribed only in the case of purulent mastitis in the mother, when she has signs of infection. At the same time, doctors recommend temporarily (during the mother’s treatment with antibiotics) not to put the baby on the sore breast, regularly express milk from it, and continue to feed him from the healthy mammary gland.

In cases where symptoms of staphylococcal infection are detected in both mother and child, simultaneous treatment is carried out for mother and baby. However, in a child this disease can manifest itself in different ways:

• inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes (the eyelids swell and the eyes fester);
• inflammation of the area around the navel (the skin in this area swells, turns red and pus is released from the umbilical wound);
• purulent-inflammatory skin lesions (vesicles of various sizes appear on the baby’s skin, filled with purulent contents, and the skin around them turns red);
• inflammation of the small and large intestines (in this case, profuse watery stools appear up to 8-10 times a day, maybe mixed with mucus and blood, vomiting, abdominal pain).

To confirm the diagnosis and determine the causative agent, the doctor may prescribe bacterial culture of discharge from the source of inflammation (eyes, umbilical wound, contents of blisters on the skin). And if the baby’s intestines are disrupted, a stool microflora test is prescribed.

How to keep milk “pure”

In order for the milk to remain “pure” and there is no need to interrupt breastfeeding, depriving the baby of the best food for him, a nursing mother can be advised to follow a diet with a limit on sweet, flour and butter foods, since their abundance creates a favorable environment for the reproduction and growth of microbes.
It is also important to prevent nipple cracks from developing. And to do this, you need to properly attach the baby to the breast (in this case, the baby grasps most of the areola, and not just the nipple, his lower lip is turned outward, and his nose touches the breast) and follow several rules when caring for the mammary glands (wash your breasts no more than 1– 2 times a day; arrange air baths for the nipples after feeding and between them; lubricate the nipples after feeding with drops of “hind” milk released at the end of feeding, as it has protective and healing properties and protects the nipple from dryness; do not use for treating the nipple and areolas, various disinfectants - brilliant green, alcohol, etc., as this helps dry out the skin of the nipple and areola with the subsequent appearance of cracks).
If cracks do appear, then it is imperative to treat them in a timely manner in order to prevent infection and the development of mastitis.

Do I need treatment if nothing hurts?

When staphylococcus is present in breast milk, but the nursing woman has no signs of infection, breastfeeding is not stopped, but, as a rule, the mother is prescribed treatment (orally and locally) with drugs from the group of antiseptics, which are not contraindicated during breastfeeding, and the child is given a doctor will prescribe probiotics (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) to prevent dysbiosis.

Many women think that if there are no signs of the disease, then there is no need for treatment. However, this opinion cannot be considered correct. The problem is that in such a situation the mother’s condition will not worsen, but the baby can be harmed. If a child is fed infected milk for a long time, the composition of bacteria in his intestines may be disrupted and the body’s defenses will fail. Therefore, the mother must be treated without interrupting breastfeeding.

Evaluating the result of breast milk analysis

What can you see on the analysis form that comes from the laboratory?

• Option 1. When inoculating milk, no growth of microflora is observed, i.e. milk is sterile. It is worth noting that such an analysis result is very rare.
• Option 2. When inoculating milk, the number of non-pathogenic microorganisms (staphylococcus epidermidis, enterococci) increased slightly. These bacteria are representatives of the normal microflora of the mucous membranes and skin and do not pose a danger.
• Option 3. When inoculating milk, pathogenic microorganisms were found (Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, hemolyzing Escherichia coli, Candida fungi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Their permissible level in breast milk is no more than 250 colonies of bacteria per 1 ml of milk (CFU/ml).

The successful development and sound sleep of a baby in the first months of his life completely depend on the quality and quantity of breast milk. But unfortunately, mother's milk does not always meet the standards and can cause restless behavior and various types of diseases in the baby. Therefore, pediatricians very often recommend that women do a breast milk test.

Breast milk analysis: types and reasons why it needs to be taken

Breast milk is the ideal food for your baby during the first year of life. But unfortunately, it cannot always be beneficial and serve as an excellent tool for strengthening the infant’s immune system. The fact is that milk consists of hundreds of components that are not always beneficial. Thus, the quality of breastfeeding depends on the fat content of the milk, the presence of pathogenic microbes and antibodies in it. In this regard, the following types of breast milk tests are distinguished:

• for sterility;
• for fat content;
• for antibodies.

Breast milk does not always benefit a growing body

Testing breast milk for sterility

Previously, it was believed that breast milk was absolutely sterile and its use could not harm the health of the baby. But recent scientific research has proven that in some cases, mother’s milk can be extremely dangerous and cause the development of pathologies in the baby, since it may contain various pathogenic microbes and bacteria. In the normal course, these microorganisms constantly live in small numbers on the skin, mucous membranes and in the intestines. But when the immune system decreases, which is especially typical for a woman’s body after pregnancy and childbirth, they begin to actively multiply and enter breast milk, thereby causing various pathologies and disorders in both mother and baby. Most often, microorganisms enter the mammary gland through cracks and wounds on the nipples and areolas.

The most common microorganisms in breast milk are:

• Staphylococcus aureus;
• enterobacteria;
• Klebsiella;
• mushrooms of the genus Candida;
• coli;
• Staphylococcus epidermidis;
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most dangerous microorganisms that contributes to the development of purulent mastitis

Analysis of breast milk for sterility is necessary to identify the nature of pathogenic microbes, their quantity and sensitivity to antibacterial therapy. This test is not required for all breastfeeding women. It is necessary only if there is a suspicion of inflammatory processes in the woman’s mammary gland and infectious diseases in the baby’s body.

Indications for analysis on the part of the child

• purulent-inflammatory rashes on the skin;
• long-term stool disorder, characterized by light green stool or the color of swamp mud with mucus;
• bloating, increased gas formation and constant colic;
• increased body temperature;
• frequent regurgitation;
• vomit.

Purulent-inflammatory rashes on the baby’s body may indicate the presence of staphylococcal infection in breast milk

But these symptoms do not always indicate an inflammatory process in the mother’s body. Sometimes the cause of all disorders can be the incorrect diet of a nursing mother. Moreover, in 80 - 90% of cases, colic is normal for the first three months of a baby's life.

For medical reasons, my child was completely bottle-fed for the first month. All this time we did not have any problems with the tummy or stool. But as soon as I gradually began to switch my daughter to breast milk, real tummy problems began. The child especially suffered from colic. This entailed a series of sleepless nights and constant whims. The local pediatrician constantly insisted that it was necessary to endure the first three months, then the colic would disappear on its own. She also recommended placing the baby correctly on the breast so that she does not take in air during feeding and eliminating fatty, spicy, carbonated drinks and the like from the diet. Although for almost the first six months I ate only oatmeal. Therefore, for the most part, colic is a normal reaction of a fragile body to new food. Moreover, I heard this statement from my grandmother that boys have colic much less often than girls.

Indications from the female body for testing breast milk for sterility

Reasons why a woman should have her breast milk tested for sterility:

• soreness and swelling of the mammary gland, accompanied by purulent discharge from the nipples;
• redness of the skin of the gland and an increase in body temperature to 38 - 40°C.

All of the above signs are symptoms of purulent mastitis.

Redness of the skin may indicate purulent mastitis

According to the World Health Organization, there is no need to stop lactation if pathogens are detected in breast milk. Experts explain this by saying that microbes and bacteria entering the baby’s body with milk stimulate the production of antibodies that protect the baby. The exception is the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in milk, which is the causative agent of purulent mastitis. Lactation can be resumed after complete recovery.

How to properly collect a breast milk test for sterility

For the most part, the results of any analysis depend on the correct collection of the test material, in our case breast milk. And also an equally important condition in carrying out this analysis is the collection of milk from both mammary glands. To get the most reliable result you need to:

1. Prepare in advance two special plastic containers for collecting samples, which are sold in pharmacies or small glass jars with a lid. Glass jars and lids must be thoroughly washed, boiled for at least 20 minutes and dried.
2. Label the containers so as not to confuse where the milk from the right breast will be located and where from the left.
3. Wipe hands and mammary glands with 70% alcohol.
4. Express the first 5 - 10 milliliters of milk from each mammary gland and pour it away, as they are not informative for analysis.
5. Strain 5 - 10 milliliters of milk from each breast into the appropriate test tube.
6. Take the collected material to the laboratory within three hours after pumping.

Breast milk for analysis can be expressed into special plastic containers, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.

During pregnancy, a young woman has to undergo a large number of stool and urine tests almost every month. This is also required by monitoring the baby’s development in the first year of his life. In this regard, I would like to note that the cost of purchased containers for collecting samples is practically no different from the cost of fruit baby food in glass jars of 50 - 80 grams. Therefore, having decided to save my budget during pregnancy, I simply specifically bought baby food. And I used the jar for its intended purpose. Later, when the baby began to introduce complementary foods, a large number of these jars accumulated. But not all laboratories, including state ones, accept tests in glass containers. Therefore, before collecting material, it is necessary to clarify this information.

Sterility test results

You will have to wait at least a week for the results of the analysis. This is due to the fact that in the laboratory breast milk is seeded onto a special microflora, where colonies of bacteria and microbes sprout only after 5-7 days. Then the laboratory assistant determines the type and quantity of the pathogen under a microscope.

Analysis for the sterility of breast milk is done at least 5 - 7 days

In any case, it is possible to get one of three possible results:

1. As a result of laboratory studies, no microflora growth was detected. This means that breast milk is completely sterile. Unfortunately, such cases are very rare.
2. When milk is inoculated, a slight growth of bacteria is observed, which does not pose a threat to the health of the nursing woman and the baby. These bacteria include: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus). In this case, there is no need for treatment and cessation of lactation.
3. When breast milk is cultured, a significant increase in pathogenic microbes and bacteria is observed. Normally, their number should not exceed 250 colonies per 1 milliliter of milk (CFU/ml).

Analysis of breast milk for fat content

As mentioned above, breast milk consists of a large number of components. Moreover, the quality and quantity depend on many factors:

• month and duration of feeding. It is believed that after a year, milk becomes more nutritious and fatty in accordance with the needs of the baby’s developing body;
• diet of a nursing woman;
• hereditary predisposition of the young mother;
• emotional state of a woman.

If a breastfed baby behaves calmly, gains weight well, develops according to age indicators, sleeps peacefully and is awake, then this indicates that mother’s milk is nutritious and has sufficient fat content. A well-fed child is a calm child. But if the baby is constantly “hanging” on the chest and has to be supplemented with formula, sleeps poorly and is lagging behind in mental and physical development, then this may be a signal of “empty” breast milk. To confirm her guesses, a woman can get tested for

In this case, it is enough to collect material from one mammary gland. The main thing is to express the “hind” milk, since the first 10 milliliters are characterized by a minimum percentage of fat content.

It is possible to check the fat content of breast milk not only in the laboratory, but also at home. To do this you need:

1. Prepare in advance a special plastic container for collecting breast milk or a small glass jar. The glass jar must be thoroughly washed, boiled for at least 20 minutes and dried. Ideally, it is best to use a test tube.
2. Using a ruler, measure 10 millimeters (1 centimeter) starting from the bottom of the container and make a mark.
3. Wash your hands and breasts with liquid pH-neutral soap under warm running water.
4. Express the first 10 - 15 milliliters of milk and pour it away.
5. Express hind milk. The amount of milk should be at the level of the previously made mark on the container.
6. Leave the container with the collected material in an upright position for 5 - 7 hours.
7. After this time, take a ruler and measure the layer of cream that has formed on top.
8. 1 millimeter = 1% fat content.
9. Normally there should be at least 4% fat content, that is, 4 millimeters.

To determine the fat content of breast milk, it is necessary to take hind milk

Antibody testing of breast milk

Analysis of breast milk for antibodies is carried out in case of Rh conflict, when the Rh factors of the mother and baby do not match. It is usually done immediately after childbirth. Even during pregnancy, a woman’s body begins to produce antibodies, which, penetrating the placenta, can enter the baby’s body and cause disruption of intrauterine development. These antibodies completely disappear from the young mother’s body half a month to a month after birth. For some women giving birth, this happens much earlier, since each woman’s body is different. Therefore, in order to prevent them from entering the newborn’s body along with mother’s milk, doctors recommend refraining from putting the baby to the breast for the first month or until test results confirm the absence of antibodies. In this case, artificial feeding is even welcome.

Some obstetricians and gynecologists with Rhesus conflict still allow the young mother to put the baby to the breast immediately after birth. But at the same time, the baby’s health status is constantly monitored.

Rules for collecting breast material for antibodies

To obtain reliable antibody test results, you must:

1. Prepare in advance a special plastic container for collecting breast milk or a small glass jar. The glass jar must be thoroughly washed, boiled for at least 20 minutes and dried.
2. Wash your hands and breasts with liquid pH-neutral soap under warm running water.
3. Express 10 milliliters of breast milk into a container.
4. Deliver the material for analysis to the laboratory within three hours after pumping.

Antibody testing is prohibited during antibiotic treatment.

Where can you get breast milk tests done?

A woman can do a breast milk test on her own initiative or on the recommendation of a doctor. In the latter case, the specialist gives her a referral.

Since this type of analysis requires special laboratory equipment and highly qualified specialists, the number of laboratories in this profile is quite limited. Usually it can be done in large private medical centers or on the basis of some perinatal institutions.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky about staphylococcus in breast milk

A healthy mother and sterile milk are the key to the successful development of the baby. And in many ways, infant health problems are directly related to the processes occurring in the mother’s body.

The ideal food for a newborn baby is mother's milk. It contains useful substances that lay the foundation for the baby’s future health. Breastfeeding promotes physical and psychological health: mother and child are connected by an invisible thread.

Why get tested?

Sometimes infants experience increased gas formation, loose, frequent stools, and pustules on the skin. The mother, in turn, may complain of chest discomfort and pain. To find out the cause, doctors refer you to a doctor who will show the severity of the condition and help you choose the direction of treatment or avoid taking unnecessary medications. It wouldn’t hurt to get mothers of premature babies and breast milk donors checked in the laboratory.

Only hind milk is tested for fat content

Depending on the condition of the mother and child, the feasibility of the study is determined, and the following tests are prescribed:

• For fat content. This is an important indicator on which the saturation and well-being of the baby depend. A lack of fat content leads to the child’s poor weight gain, while excess fat content provokes dysbacteriosis and intestinal disorders, since fats are poorly absorbed.
• For sterility. The study is indicated for women with suspected mastitis - inflammation of the mammary gland, which without treatment turns into a purulent form. The test is prescribed for breast milk donors, as well as for long-term, continuous loose stools in a child. The study will show the presence of pathogenic microbes in milk and their quantity, and will allow them to be separated from microorganisms, the presence of which is a variant of the norm. Laboratory technicians find Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Candida fungi, streptococcus and even tubercle bacilli in the material.
• For staphylococcus. The leader in the list of findings during bacterial culture of flora - this is how the previous analysis often sounds in the price list of laboratories. Doctors order milk to be tested specifically for staphylococcus, because it causes 95% of purulent mastitis.
• Antibioticogram. It is usually paired with a previous analysis to determine the sensitivity of the infection to different types of antibiotics and select a drug for treatment.
• For antibodies. In case of Rh conflict, you need to stop feeding until the baby reaches one month of age, so that antibodies from the mother’s body do not reach the newborn and harm him. This test shows the presence of antibodies and their concentration. Based on its results, it is clear whether to breastfeed the baby or use formula for now. In fact, this analysis indicates the compatibility of the child and his mother's milk.

How to prepare to donate breast milk

The main rule when collecting material for research is hygiene. Before collecting milk, you need to thoroughly wash your hands and breasts with soap, then lubricate the areola with 70% alcohol diluted with boiled water in a one-to-one ratio. You will need two sterile containers, each of which must be marked so that you know which breast the milk will be in it from. First you need to express and pour out 10 ml of the first, so-called “foremilk” milk. After this, decant 10 ml into containers. The milk should be delivered to the laboratory within 3 hours.

Violating these rules may result in errors:

• Submitting foremilk for biochemical analysis leads to an underestimation of the fat percentage in relation to the real picture;
• the concentration of antibodies is much higher in hind milk, which is food, while fore milk is drink;
• poor hygiene will show an excessive amount of opportunistic flora (microorganisms that live on the skin and do not harm us).

Do I need treatment?

Only a doctor should interpret breast milk tests and prescribe treatment. Detected microorganisms are not a reason to panic, and the mother’s good health, despite poor tests, is not a guarantee of the child’s health. This is the case when the condition of the mother and baby is assessed in a complex manner. In addition to examining the woman's milk, the child is also examined.

Where to get tested

Research is carried out in private laboratories and at perinatal centers, where there is modern equipment and trained personnel. It is convenient that a woman does not have to abandon her child and go for research. The material is collected in the comfort of your home, in sterile containers purchased at the pharmacy. It is possible to call a courier to your home or self-delivery.

Testing breast milk is important for diagnosing diseases of the mother and newborn. Tests help prevent the development of mastitis and its surgical complications, the occurrence of digestive disorders in the child and maintain breastfeeding. Milk is collected for research in compliance with hygienic rules and can be delivered to the laboratory within 3 hours.

Leading neonatologists have long proven the benefits of mother's milk for a newborn. However, situations often arise when breastfeeding causes significant harm to the health of the baby.

The only solution is to test breast milk. Only by its results can one judge the possibility of using natural feeding or switching to artificial feeding.

When and why is breast milk analyzed?

It is believed that mother's milk contains all the nutrients and vitamins the baby needs and is not subject to heat treatment. However, there are often cases when representatives of pathogenic microflora penetrate into breast milk. Microorganisms reach the baby along with the nutrient fluid and begin to develop, thereby causing harm to the baby’s body.

If previously it was believed that mother’s milk was sterile and harmless, today medicine refutes this statement. The presence of opportunistic microorganisms (fungi, bacteria, microbes) is allowed in breast milk. But provided that they do not cause cause for concern, and their number does not exceed the norm. Often, problems arise due to the weakening of the mother's immunity during pregnancy and after childbirth. Also, poor maternal hygiene during feeding leads to the development of infant feeding problems.

Where can I submit it??

City clinics do not have the necessary equipment. Therefore, you can do a hemotest to study breast milk in the laboratory of private clinics. However, a referral from a pediatrician is not necessary.

When necessary do?

• constant digestive disorders, flatulence, colic in an infant;
• purulent discharge from the mother's nipples;
• the presence of a gag reflex in the child during feeding;
• unstable, as well as constant loose stools;
• the appearance of bloody inclusions in the baby’s stool;
• skin rashes, purulent formations (pyoderma) on the mucous membranes of the child;
• purulent or recurring mastitis in the mother.

There are several types of studies of this secretory fluid.

Testing breast milk for sterility allows you to determine the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. It can also be used to determine their sensitivity to antibacterial drugs and select the appropriate treatment.

The main representatives of dangerous microflora are:

• Candida fungi;
• enterobacteria;
• staphylococcus;
• coli.

Staphylococcus aureus in breast milk is the most dangerous representative of this bacterial family. Infection with it inevitably leads to complications of lactation, such as purulent inflammation and mastitis.

It is necessary to have breast milk tested for antibodies if the Rh factors of the mother and baby do not match. This study determines the presence of immunoglobulins in the mother and the possibility of them entering the child’s body.

How to properly collect milk for analysis?

To obtain the most reliable results, it is necessary to correctly submit milk for analysis. Dishes play an important role. To collect breast milk you need to take special sterile jars. You can sterilize them yourself or take them to the laboratory where the research will be carried out. Also, sterile tubes are sold in pharmacies.

Next, you need to disinfect your hands and, directly, your chest. If this is not done, microorganisms will enter sterile containers and the analysis will be unreliable. To avoid cracks and abrasions on the nipples, the breasts are washed with liquid soap and wiped with a napkin. Then the nipples and areolas are wiped with an alcohol solution. If these conditions are not met, a pathogenic infection may enter the research material.

Next, you need to express the milk, skipping the first few ml. Milk from the right and left breasts must be expressed into a separate jar, which must be signed. A sufficient amount of milk for analysis is 10 ml from each breast. Milk is only suitable for analysis for a few hours, so it cannot be stored for long periods of time. It is important to send it for analysis as quickly as possible. Waiting for results takes about a week.

Interpretation of breast milk analysis

If there are one or more negative symptoms, the mother herself should be interested in donating breast milk for analysis. In laboratory conditions, milk is inoculated onto a nutrient medium, on which bacteria begin to multiply. These bacterial colonies are then examined. It includes determining the type of pathogen, quantity, as well as immunity to antibiotics. For example, Staphylococcus aureus, getting on the mammary gland, can lead to purulent mastitis. Interpretation of the culture results is carried out exclusively by a doctor and he also prescribes the necessary treatment. Treatment is prescribed if the number of pathogenic microorganisms exceeds the norm (250 CFU/ml).

The first portion of milk contains less fat, so the fat content is assessed by the so-called “hind milk”. That is, expressed at the end of feeding. The percentage of fat content is taken as 1 ml of cream on the surface. The norm is 4 ml.

If antibodies are detected, the pediatrician may prohibit breastfeeding for up to one month. During this time, the baby's body will become stronger and it will be possible to return to breastfeeding.

What to do if the result is bad?

If your breast milk test results are poor, you need to focus on treatment and prevention. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, but preventive measures can be used by mothers at home:

• do a circular breast massage to prevent the development of mastitis;
• be sure to maintain intimate hygiene after childbirth;
• follow a hypoallergenic diet in the first months after the birth of the baby;
• solve health problems in a timely manner.

At the first alarm bells, be sure to do a breast milk hemotest.