Breast milk is the first food that enters the body of a newborn. It is a nutrient fluid that is produced by the mammary glands of a woman. There are situations that require an analysis of breast milk in order to determine its quality indicators and make sure that there are no pathological microorganisms in the composition.
What is it?
The first few days after the birth of a baby from the mammary glands of women is not milk, but colostrum. It is quite nutritious and less oily. With the help of colostrum, the child's body is populated with beneficial microflora and adapts to the external environment.
It has a laxative effect, contributes to the rapid recovery of the child's body after physiological jaundice, gives rise to a strong immune system, contains the largest amount of proteins, immunoglobulins and ascorbic acid.
Actually, milk appears 3-5 days after the birth of the baby. Hiscomposition:
- water - up to 85%;
- proteins - up to 1%;
- fats - up to 5%;
- carbohydrates - about 7%;
- hormonally active substances;
- macro and micronutrients;
- vitamins.
The composition of breast milk varies with the age of the baby. Up to six months, the baby has a high need for fats and proteins, which decreases upon reaching 6 months. This means that the milk becomes less fat, the amount of proteins decreases. In parallel, there is an increase in carbohydrates, minerals necessary for the proper formation of the musculoskeletal and nervous system.
Microorganisms in milk
There was an opinion that mother's milk is completely sterile, but numerous studies have shown that it contains opportunistic strains of microorganisms that can inhabit the skin, mucous membranes, and intestinal tract of a person without harm to him. Under certain circumstances, for example, in the case of a decrease in immunity, with hypothermia, in the period after an infectious disease, bacteria become pathogenic microorganisms, starting to multiply actively.
When the latter enter the baby's body during feeding, they provoke the development of a number of diseases:
- enterocolitis;
- inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes;
- dysbiosis.
How to identify the pathogen?
It is possible to clarify the nature and type of the pathogen that provokes the development of pathological conditions in the baby, if you donate breast milk for analysis. This is a specific test that allows not only to detect the presence of pathogenic microflora, but also to determine its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs.
Breast milk analysis is not required for all women who are breastfeeding. The indications are the suspicion of an infectious process in the baby's body and inflammatory conditions on the part of the mammary glands of the mother.
Analysis of breast milk is carried out in the following cases:
- frequent purulent rashes on the child's skin;
- manifestations of dysbacteriosis;
- Regularly appearing impurities of mucus and green blotches in the baby's feces;
- signs of an inflammatory process in the mammary gland of the mother (pain, hyperemia, fever, purulent discharge from the nipple);
- Low weight gain in a child in combination with one of the above conditions.
Milk collection rules
To pass the analysis of breast milk, you must follow certain rules when collecting it:
- Prepare a container for the material. These can be special cups or glass jars purchased at a pharmacy, but pre-boiled with lids.
- There should be an individual container marked for each breast.
- Wash hands and chest with soap.
- Pump the first 10 ml separately as they are not used for research.
- Further, decant 10 ml from each gland into separate containers and close tightly with lids.
Analysis of breast milkwill be with the most significant results if the material is delivered to the laboratory within 2 hours after its collection. Usually the result is ready in a week.
Feeding when determining microorganisms in milk
The World He alth Organization does not consider the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in mother's milk as a reason for not breastfeeding, since all these bacteria stimulate the production of antibodies from the female body, and they, in turn, enter the baby's gastrointestinal tract, protect him.
As long as the microorganism is present but the mother is not inflammatory, breastfeeding is considered safe.
If staphylococcus aureus is detected, the mother is prescribed antibacterial drugs, with preference given to the least toxic (cephalosporins, macrolides, penicillins). While taking antibiotics, the baby is recommended to be applied to a he althy breast, regularly expressing the patient.
If signs of staphylococcal infection are detected, both the mother and the child are treated for both. In a child, the pathological process manifests itself in the following:
- conjunctivitis - eyes turn sour, purulent discharge appears in the corners, accompanied by swelling and hyperemia;
- omphalitis - swelling and redness of the navel, the presence of purulent discharge;
- staphyloderma - vesicles on the skin with purulent contents, surrounded by a hyperemic corolla;
- enterocolitis - loose stools up to 10 times a day, feces mixed with blood and mucus, abdominal pain,nausea, vomiting.
Evaluation of results
Breast milk analysis can have 4 results:
- No growth of microflora. This result is very rare, since in most cases the milk is not sterile.
- The presence of opportunistic microflora in acceptable quantities. This means that the milk contains a small amount of microorganisms that do not pose a danger to the body of the mother and child.
- The presence of pathogenic microflora in the number of colonies is less than 250 CFU / ml. This means that dangerous strains have been sown, but their levels are within the normal range, which means they are safe.
- The presence of pathogenic microflora in the number of colonies is more than 250 CFU/ml. This option requires treatment and not breastfeeding.
From the representatives of pathogens can be sown:
- salmonella;
- E. coli;
- Vibrio cholerae;
- Klebsiella;
- mushrooms of the genus Candida;
- Staphylococcus aureus;
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Whatever indicators are indicated on the analysis form, the interpretation of the results should be done by the attending physician.
Fat analysis
Fat content is an important indicator on which satiety and well-being of a child depend. Its deficiency leads to the fact that the baby gains weight poorly, and high fat content can be a provocateur of dysbacteriosis.
For a correct result, it is necessary to collect "hind" milk. This is the nutrient fluid that enters the child's body after the "front", which contains a large amount of water and lactose. Milk is treated with sulfuric acid, which provokes the precipitation of fats. The fat level is determined using a butyrometer. The analysis of breast milk for fat content has the following normal indicators: 3, 5-3, 8%.
Other studies
There are a number of breast milk tests to determine the qualitative and quantitative indicators of the composition:
- assessment of share indicators;
- antibody levels.
1. Determination of the specific gravity of breast milk
Indicators specify the ratio of proteins and fats. Depending on how mature the milk is, the numbers may vary. Material for research is collected 1-1.5 hours after feeding the baby. In the laboratory, milk is poured into a glass test tube and a hydrometer is immersed in it. The evaluation of the results depends on the temperature regime of the room in which the study is carried out.
Normal readings are 1.026-1.036, provided that the temperature is 15 oC. When the temperature rises or falls with each degree, 0, 001 is added or subtracted to the results, respectively.
2. Antibody levels in breast milk
The level of immunoglobulins in mother's milk differs in different periods of a child's life. In the first days after birth, while the mammary glands produce colostrum, the amount of immunoglobulin A is greatest. Decreases towards the endthe first week and keeps at this level for 8-10 months.
A small amount contains immunoglobulins M, G, interferon, interleukins, macrophages, lymphocytes.
Where to take a breast milk test
Research is carried out in private clinical laboratories. Their cost depends on the method used and the technologies used. You can donate the material on your own initiative or on the recommendation of the doctor who issued the referral for analysis. Breast milk, the sterility of which is also valuable for the mother, is an important part of shaping the future he alth of the baby, which means that every effort must be made to maintain lactation for as long as possible.
