infants who were not directly breastfed have a significant increaseAnother analysis found that infants who were not directly breastfed have a significant increase in coughing and wheezing episodes compared to those who were. Some research suggests storing expressed breast milk may interfere with its beneficial properties. Freezing can break down its immunological cells and lipids (but doesn’t affect its antimicrobial proteins), refrigeration reduces ascorbic acid concentrations, and both storage methods reduce antioxidant activity. Microwave thawing, which is not recommended, drastically decreases breast milk’s anti-infective elements. The effects of these changes, if any, are unknown. The content of the breast milk itself may differ when it is exclusively pumped. A mother’s breast milk changes according to a baby’s needs, as it ages, as well as throughout the course of a day and the course of each feeding session. Research has confirmed that the fat concentration of expressed milk increases with the bab (more...)