Cariogenic Potential of Stored Human Milk—An In-Vitro Study

Human milk samples collected from ten lactating mothers in the K. S. Hegde Medical Hospital, Mangalore were divided into five different parts and stored at different temperatures for varying durations. The pH,buffer capacity and growth of Streptococcus mutans were assessed in each of these samples. There was a fall in pH of human milk stored at various temperatures. The buffer capacity of human milk increased with duration of storage. There was an increase in Streptococcus colony count in stored human milk proportional to the duration of storage and it increased more rapidly in case of milk stored at higher temperatures (0°C -4°C) compared to the milk stored in the freezer (-19°C). Milk samples stored at room temperature for 6 hours and in the freezer at -19°C for 2 weeks were found to be relatively safe.

Human milk, Storage, Cariogenic potential, pH, Buffer capacity, Streptococcus mutans

1. Abbey LM. Night breast feeding and dental caries. Pediatrics 64(5): 701, 1979.

2. Degano MP and Degano RA. Breastfeeding and oral health. NYSDJ; 30–32, 1993.

3. Nowak AJ What pediatricians can do to promote oral health. Contem-porary Pediatr 90–106, 1993.

4. Roberts GJ. Is breast feeding a possible cause of dental caries? J Dent 10(4): 346–352, 1982.

5. Bulliya G.Subtlety of breast feeding for sustainable child health and sur-vival.the Ind J Nutr Dietet 41: 536, 2004.

6. Ogundele MO. Effects of storage on physiochemical and antibacterial properties of human milk.Br J Biomed Science 59(4): 205-211, 2002.

7. Duke CS. Common concerns when storing human milk. New Begin-nings 15(4): 109, 1998.

8. Forrester DJ, Wagner ML, Fleming J. Pediatric Dental Medicine. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger 165–167, 1981.

9. Al-Dashti AA, Williams SA, and Curzon MEJ. Breast feeding, bottle feeding and dental caries in Kuwait, a country with low-fluoride levels in the water supply. Comm Dental Health 12(6): 42–47, 1995.

10. Ani S. Breastfeeding and dental caries. Mothering 29–37, 1986.

11. Brice DM. The etiology, treatment, and prevention of nursing caries. Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry 17(1): 92-98, 1996.

12. California Society of Pediatric Dentists. Baby bottle tooth decay. Cali-fornia Pediatrician 39–42, 1988.

13. Degano MP and Degano RA. Breastfeeding and oral health. NYSDJ 30–32, 1993.

14. Gardner, D. At will breastfeeding and dental caries: four case reports.ASDC. J Dent Child 18–23, 1977.

15. Jelliffee DB and Jelliffee EFP. Breastfeeding could be a cause of the type of dental caries. J Dent 11(4): 361, 1983.

16. Kotlow, L. Breastfeeding: a cause of dental caries in children. ASDC J Dent Child 192–193, 1977.

17. Tandon S. et al. comparative evaluation of cariogenic potential of dif-ferent types of milk and milk formula in pre- school children. J Ind Soc Pedo Prev Dent 15(2): 64–68, 1997

18. Adam Hulanicki. Reactions of acids and bases in analytical chemistry. Second edition, PWN, Warsawa 1980.

19. Erickson PR, Mazhari E. Investigations of role of human breast milk in caries development. Pediatr Dent 21(2): 86–90, 1999.

20. Jean – Yves Maillard. Biocides: health care applications. The Pharma-ceutical J 275: 639–642, 2005.

21. Stevens S and Cox I. Sterilization and disinfection. (Initially published Community Eye Health 1996; 9, 19).Updated – Technology for VISION 2020, Feb –: 32–35, 2005

22. Widdowson EM. Symposium Report. Protective properties of human milk and the effects of processing on them. Archives of Diseases in Childhood 53: 684–686, 1978.

23. Munshi AK, Kavitha H, Shanthi KP. Acidogenic potential of the infant formulas marketed in India. J Indian Soc Pedo Prev Dent 19(1): 1–9, 2001.

24. Berger HM et al. Milk pH, acid base status and growth in babies. Archives of disease in Childhood 53: 926–930, 1978.

25. Bullen CL and Willis AT. Resistance of the breast fed infant to gas-troenteritis. Brit Med J 3: 338–343, 1971.

26. Holt JG et al. Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins; 9th edition: 554, 1994

27. Morris FH, Brewer ED, Temple DM et al. Relationship of human milk pH during course of lactation to concentrations of citrate and fatty acids. Pediatrics 78(3): 458–464, 1986.

28. Bitman-J; Wood-DL; Mehta-NR; Hamosh-P; Hamosh-M. Lipolysis of triglycerides of human milk during storage at low temperatures: a note of caution. J-Pediatr-Gastroenterol-Nutr 2(3): 521–4, 1983.

29. Nikiforuk G. Formation, structure and metabolism of dental plaque. Understanding dental caries – etiology and mechanisms: 150, 1985

30. Touyz LZG and Glassman RM. Citrus acids and teeth. J DASA 36: 195–201, March 1981.

31. Touyz LZG and Silove M. Increased acidity in frozen fruit juices and dental implications. ASDC J Dent Child 223–225, 1993.

32. Milnes AR, Bowden GHW. Microflora associated with developing lesions of nursing caries. Caries Res 19: 289–297,1985.

33. Kingman A et al. Salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and lacto-bacilli and dental caries experience in a US adolescent population. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 16: 98–103, 1988.

34. Beighton D et al. Association between salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, Lactobacilli and caries experience in kenyan adolescents. J Dent Res 68(8): 1242–1246, 1989.

35. Weinberger AJ, Wright GZ. Correlating Streptococcus mutans with den-tal caries in young children using a clinically applicable microbiologi-cal method. Caries Res 23: 385–388, 1989.

36. Hernandez J, Lemons P, Lemons J, Todd J. Effect of storage processes on the bacterial growth inhibiting activity of human breast milk. Pedi-atrics 63: 597–601, 1979.

37. Liehbhaber M, Lewiston NJ, Asquith MT and Sunshine P. Comparison of bacterial contamination with two methods of human milk collection. The journal of Pediatrics 92(2): 236–237, 1978.

38. Evans TJ, Ryley HC, Neale LM, Dodge JA and Lewarne VM. Effect of storage and heat on antibacterial proteins in milk. Archives of disease in childhood 53: 239–241, 1978.

39. Bjorksten B et al. Collecting and banking human milk: to heat or not to heat? Brit Med J 281: 765–773, 1980.