Key result
Among preterm infants fed 72-hour frozen breast milk from CMV-seropositive mothers, maternal viral reactivation occurred in 70.2% of cases, but postnatal CMV transmission occurred in only 2.5% of exposed infants.
Why the study?
Does freezing breast milk prevent CMV transmission in preterm infants of CMV seropositive mothers?
Cohort (n=57)
No
Does freezing breast milk prevent CMV transmission in preterm infants of CMV seropositive mothers?
Despite high rates of CMV reactivation in breast milk of seropositive mothers, transmission to preterm infants is rare, and freezing or pasteurization may further reduce viral load.
May support 72-hour freezing of breast milk to limit CMV transmission in preterm infants; leaves open need for randomized confirmation.
BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding has a major impact on CMV epidemiology. Postnatal CMV reactivation's incidence during lactation is nearby the maternal seroprevalence. Although perinatal CMV infection has practically no consequences in term newborn, it may cause, in some cases, a severe symptomatic disease in preterm newborns. The aims of the present study are to evaluate the rate and clinical expression of CMV infection breast milk transmitted in preterm infants and to check the safety of the freezing treated breast milk. METHODS: The study included fifty-seven preterm infants and their CMV seropositive mothers. Fresh breast milk samples have been collected from 1(st) to 9(th) postpartum week. Both fresh breast milk and 72, 96, 120 hours frozen samples have been examined, checking the presence of CMV; urine samples have been tested too. RESULTS: 70.2% of tested mothers showed reactivation of the infection, and CMV-positive breast milk during the six weeks postpartum has been found. However, only one infant was infected by CMV, developing hepatic affection concomitantly with a multi-system involvement, as shown CMV DNA detection in urine, saliva, blood, gastric aspirate, and stools. CONCLUSION: Freezing breast milk at -20°C and pasteurization may respectively reduce or eliminate the viral load.
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Chiavarini et al. (2011) conducted a cohort in Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (n=57). 72-hour frozen breast milk from CMV-seropositive mothers was evaluated on Postnatal CMV infection in exposed newborns. Among preterm infants fed 72-hour frozen breast milk from CMV-seropositive mothers, maternal viral reactivation occurred in 70.2% of cases, but postnatal CMV transmission occurred in only 2.5% of exposed infants.
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