Effect of Light Exposure During Pumping and Holder Pasteurization on Vitamin Concentrations in Human Milk

Donor human milk is a necessary secondary feeding option when mother’s own milk is unavailable. To ensure safety for premature and medically fragile infants, milk banks pasteurize donated milk. During pumping, storage, and pasteurization, all milk is exposed to light. Currently, milk banks do not regulate light exposure. Riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin A are vitamins that are highly light labile. In this study, we aim to determine if light exposure during pumping, storage, and pasteurization in a milk bank setting causes degradation of vitamins in human milk