Feeding on Heated Breast Milk

Summary This investigation showed that in a series consisting of 28 full‐term and 18 premature infants, mostly between the ages of 10 days and 1 month, and fed on heated breast milk since birth, the bifidum count varied between 170 million and 25 000 million per gramme faeces, the mean value being 3 200 million per gramme. In 93 per cent the values were below 10 000 million per gramme. The number of other bacteria at the same time varied between 20 million and 10 000 million per gramme, with a mean value of 1 000 million in respect of bacteria growing on dextrose agar. No correlation could be demonstrated between the number of bifidum and that of other bacteria. In the afore‐going respects no difference existed between the full‐term and the premature infants. Eight of the full‐term and seven of the prematures were followedup during the course of continued feeding on heated breast milk. In the full‐term infants the bifidum count progressively increased during the first and second months, and reached values between 10 000 million and 100 000 million per gramme. No correlation was found between these changes and the variations in that part of the other faecal flora that was investigated. The bifidum count rose in the premature infants too, though in a less regular way. In some of them the increase was faster, in others slower, than the average in the full‐term infants. A few of them still showed no tendency to increase after seven weeks. In the entire series the pH varied between 5.0 and 6.0 in 80 per cent and was below 7 in all cases. In the main the faeces had an acid odour. In four of the full‐term infants who were observed during the course of continued feeding on heated breast milk, the pH rose to values around or over 7 between the ages of 1 ½ and 2 ½ months. Concurrently there was a regular change from acid to faecal odour. These changes showed no tendency towards spontaneous regression.