Protect a valuable lifeline with an efficient, easy-to-use temperature indicator
Key Takeaways:
- Donor milk is vital for the health of premature and ill infants, making its safety and quality a top priority.
- Demand is rising, and ensuring the safety and nutritional integrity of donor milk is critical.
- Maintaining precise temperature conditions is crucial to preserving the nutritional and microbial integrity of donor milk.
- WarmMark® provides a simple, visual indicator for monitoring temperature excursions, ensuring milk safety.
- Integrating WarmMark® into milk bank workflows enhances reliability and reduces waste, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods.
When it comes to neonatal care, donor milk serves as a lifeline for premature and ill infants. Demand for donor milk has skyrocketed in recent years, increasing at a double-digit rate in some locales. Milk banks collect and pasteurize breast milk donated by individuals for use by others, catering to the needs of micropreemies, those infants born extremely prematurely whose mothers may not be able to supply sufficient milk.
As the demand for donated milk continues to rise, ensuring its safety and nutritional integrity becomes paramount. This is where donor milk temperature monitoring plays a crucial role. By maintaining strict temperature controls both in storage and in transit, milk banks can prevent spoilage and ensure that the milk retains its nutritional value and microbial safety.
This article examines the significance of donor milk temperature monitoring, the innovative solution made possible by WarmMark®, and how it can be effectively integrated into milk bank workflows to safeguard this precious resource.
For This Precious Resource, Temperature Matters More Than Ever
Pasteurized donor milk is susceptible to temperature fluctuations. Exposure to heat can degrade its nutritional content and compromise its microbial safety, making temperature excursions a significant concern. Germs in human milk multiply quickly at room temperature, while a temperature over 15°C (59°F) can cause lipolysis of fatty acids in the milk, resulting in a rancid taste.
The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBNA) has developed standards for donor human milk banking:
- Donated milk may be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 96 hours before being frozen.
- Milk expires one year from the collection date.
- Pasturizers must be calibrated and maintained to meet time and temperature requirements.
- Freezer temperatures must be -18 °C [or 0 °F] or less.
- Refrigerator temperatures must be between 1 °C and 4 °C [or 40 °F].
These temperature guidelines must be honored whether the milk is in transit to another milk bank, hospital, patient, or in storage.
Strict temperature control is essential to ensure that the milk remains safe and effective for infant consumption. Donor milk temperature monitoring is a critical component of milk bank operations to prevent the risks associated with temperature excursions. SpotSee’s WarmMark® provides a reliable solution to support these prevention efforts.
What Is WarmMark?
The WarmMark indicator is an innovative solution designed to enable donor milk temperature monitoring. This single-use device provides a simple, visual indication of whether human milk has exceeded preset temperature thresholds. If exposed to temperatures above a defined limit for a specific duration, the WarmMark indicator turns red, offering a clear and immediate alert. Validated by medical and cold supply chain teams, the WarmMark indicator is an effective tool for ensuring that donor milk remains within safe temperature ranges during transport and storage.
- This single-use temperature indicator turns red when it reaches the temperature threshold selected.
- Then WarmMark starts a countdown, with its three individual indicator dots changing color for brief, moderate, and prolonged exposure.
- Durations vary by temperature. For example, “brief” exposure means 2 hours at 0°C/32°F but means 30 minutes at 25°C/77°F and above.
Based on the temperature and exposure, you’ll know whether a product remains safe and effective or whether it should be replaced.
WarmMark vs. Traditional Milk Bank Shipping Practices
Traditional milk bank shipping practices rely on ice packs and thermal coolers, which offer practically no visibility into temperature exposure. While data loggers provide detailed temperature tracking, they are often too expensive or complex for daily use.
The WarmMark indicator offers a practical alternative, acting as an affordable and easy-to-use method to log milk bank temperature data. By providing a straightforward visual cue, it simplifies donor milk temperature monitoring and enhances the reliability of milk bank operations.
When to Use WarmMark in Milk Bank Workflows
The WarmMark indicator can be seamlessly integrated into various milk bank workflows. It is particularly useful for courier pickups from regional donor centers, lab testing shipments between hospitals and banks, and cross-campus deliveries within hospital networks.
By enabling donor milk temperature monitoring without technological barriers, the WarmMark indicator ensures that milk banks can maintain the integrity of their shipments with ease and confidence for:
- Courier pickups from regional donor centers
- Lab testing shipments going between hospitals and banks
- Cross-campus deliveries within hospital networks
- Monitoring storage conditions
Milk Bank Success Stories with WarmMark
The implementation of WarmMark indicators means success stories within the milk bank community. For instance, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was able to avoid wasting 12 liters of donor milk by confirming safe temperatures via WarmMark.
Another milk bank improved delivery confidence by integrating WarmMark into their standard operating procedures. The benefits of using WarmMark include avoiding over-reliance on cooler conditions, improving recipient trust and documentation, and validating the effectiveness of thermal packaging.
Why WarmMark Is the Right Fit for Milk Banks
WarmMark indicators are tamper-proof, validated, and affordable, making them an ideal choice for milk banks. Lightweight and disposable, they meet regulatory expectations for donor milk temperature monitoring and can complement or replace digital milk bank data loggers in many scenarios. By providing a reliable and cost-effective solution, WarmMark indicators help milk banks maintain the highest standards of safety and quality.
Every Drop Matters. So Does Every Degree.
In the world of donor milk, every drop is precious, and every degree of temperature matters. WarmMark indicators play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of donor milk, with an inexpensive, easy-to-read, and effective solution for both daily and emergency use.
By investing in WarmMark, milk banks can make a significant impact on the safety and quality of their operations. To learn more about WarmMark® and explore how it can enhance temperature control at your milk bank, get in touch. We’re happy to answer any questions and get you started.
