Human milk in community fridge?

[zarn02]

Placenta in the fridge.... now that's something to be cranky over.

Delicious!

[mstevens]

the milk - urine comparison was sarcastic

This wasn't aimed at you. Several people made the analogy.

[Kopfjager]

How a bunch of people who ride Ducati motorcycles can seriously entertain the belief that milk is dangerous enough to give even a moment's thought to boggles my mind, and I spend my working life deep in the boggle zone and thought I had heard it all.

Fixed it for ya.  Therein lies the reason. 

[Nitewaif]

Most women are tested for HIV in a routine blood test that is recommended by the CDC. There is also a heel stick done on babies shortly after birth to test for it and other potential diseases. If you are pregnant or had a baby, there is a pretty good chance you know about it.

Hey Neenja, the tests are usually for PKU and electrolytes.  I've never worked anywhere that babies or mothers are routinely tested for HIV.  In fact, I cannot just come into your room and draw blood for an HIV test.  There are specific consent forms required above and beyond the norm.  I understand that you are saying HIV transmission isn't a consideration in the USA, but how many HIV patients have you taken care of?  20 years in healthcare and I can honestly say I've taken care of thousands.  That isn't counting all the other body-fluid bourne pathogens like hepatitis.  

If she is asymptomatic, usually we find out the mother has HIV several months into a child's life, usually around 8 or 9, when the baby's health is failing.  We rule out many other conditions usually before HIV tests are performed.  While the level of HIV, hepatitis, etc, is lower here than Haiti or parts of Africa, it most definitely exists, and in numbers enough where people might not want their sandwich next to somebody else's body fluids in the fridge, even if that body fluid is nourishing their child.  If there is no breastmilk refrigerator available to mothers, I'd much rather see her keep the milk sealed and then placed in a second sealed lunch bag or something.  Heck, I am routinely tested for all kinds of nasty cooties because of my job, and I still make people wear gloves when sticking me for blood, even though I always test negative.   There are ways of being discreet and keeping everyone happy and safe - babies and coworkers.

[somegirl]

I thought the pumps tested for you? I am not in marketing or sales, just thought I recall hearing that once during a conversation with someone.

threadjacking is fine with me 

Ok

There is only one pump available with continuous glucose monitoring, and that technology is not nearly as accurate as the fingerstick type blood glucose tests.  That particular system has to be calibrated with fingerstick measurements a few times a day.  The other pumps can't do any reading of glucose, they are just a controlled delivery device.

Even though you still have to test, pumps are far better therapy than insulin injections for most people, unfortunately many insurance plans do not cover them.

[Betty Rage]

Hey Neenja, the tests are usually for PKU and electrolytes.  I've never worked anywhere that babies or mothers are routinely tested for HIV.  In fact, I cannot just come into your room and draw blood for an HIV test.  There are specific consent forms required above and beyond the norm.  I understand that you are saying HIV transmission isn't a consideration in the USA, but how many HIV patients have you taken care of?  20 years in healthcare and I can honestly say I've taken care of thousands.  That isn't counting all the other body-fluid bourne pathogens like hepatitis.  

If she is asymptomatic, usually we find out the mother has HIV several months into a child's life, usually around 8 or 9, when the baby's health is failing.  We rule out many other conditions usually before HIV tests are performed.  While the level of HIV, hepatitis, etc, is lower here than Haiti or parts of Africa, it most definitely exists, and in numbers enough where people might not want their sandwich next to somebody else's body fluids in the fridge, even if that body fluid is nourishing their child.  If there is no breastmilk refrigerator available to mothers, I'd much rather see her keep the milk sealed and then placed in a second sealed lunch bag or something.  Heck, I am routinely tested for all kinds of nasty cooties because of my job, and I still make people wear gloves when sticking me for blood, even though I always test negative.   There are ways of being discreet and keeping everyone happy and safe - babies and coworkers.

I won't disagree with you here, but I do know that during my first two pre-natal appointments with a doctor I was asked about my sexual history and then offered the regular blood draw. My doctor explained to me that they will recommend HIV tests based on sexual history and if they feel it's necessary. When I transferred to the midwife, before she was aware I had blood drawn with the doctor she asked if I wanted to and if I wanted them to test for HIV. I assumed that most doctors would do it this way as a precaution, I had already planned on doing it this way once I start my midwifery practice. I must have been wrong about the heel stick, I though she had said they were doing an HIV test but I was also fresh out of giving birth so my memory is a little hazy. 

I personally do not see a problem with having breast milk in a sealed container. It's not a good idea to have your food unprotected anyway if it's in a community fridge, people might cough on it while digging their own food out or god knows what else will happen to it. If the milk is in a sealed container and your food is in a sealed container I personally don't see any issue.

[NAKID]

Placenta in the fridge.... now that's something to be cranky over.

Come on Joel, that's not disgusting! Some cultures eat the placenta. Who are you to judge what other people consider food?



Oh, and +1 to nitewaif. The heel stick doesn't provide anywhere near enough blood to do an HIV test. Plus, professional HIV tests are performed on serum, so the blood would need to be spun down. Normal hematocrit is 37-52% (female 37-47 male 42-50) so that would yield about half of the blood from a heel stick as serum. Normal capillary tubes used for heel sticks are around .1cc...

[Mad Duc]

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa35.htm

HIV is unable to reproduce outside its living host (unlike many bacteria or fungi, which may do so under suitable conditions), except under laboratory conditions; therefore, it does not spread or maintain infectiousness outside its host.

[NAKID]

They are referring to dried specimens in that article, not fresh breastmilk, just saying...

[Triple J]

They are referring to dried specimens in that article, not fresh breastmilk, just saying...

Can it live in refridgerated breast milk? I'm assuming all of the HIV transfer cases in the Africa study were straight from the tap.

[mstevens]

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/qa/qa35.htm

I don't want to add any fuel to arguments that breast milk is dangerous, but...

The host for HIV is actually human white blood cells. Those are present in milk, so it can remain potentially infectious for a while outside the body. HIV is pretty wimpy. My wife was an AIDS molecular biologist when we worked at the medical school and says it's hard to keep it "alive."

[ZLTFUL]

I don't want to add any fuel to arguments that breast milk is dangerous, but...

The host for HIV is actually human white blood cells. Those are present in milk, so it can remain potentially infectious for a while outside the body. HIV is pretty wimpy. My wife was an AIDS molecular biologist when we worked at the medical school and says it's hard to keep it "alive."

HAHAHAHA!!!!

I WIN I WIN I TOLD YOU ALL!!!

NOW I AM THE RETAR...er hey...wait...

[ZLTFUL]

BTW, lighten up people.

You make the beast with two backsers all take yourselves WAY too seriously.

Hell. I breastfed until I was 27. Then they started arresting me for it.

[Mad Duc]

27 years? My lips get numb after a few minutes... 

[rgramjet]

Whats better than a placenta lasagna washed down with some fresh breastmilk?