What is the hang time for human breast milk decanted into an open delivery system for use in neonates and immunocompromised pediatric patients?

• A. 24 hours
• B. 6 hours
• C. Hang time no longer than 4 hours
• D. 12 hours

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is safety of expressed human milk when it’s decanted into an open delivery system. Once milk is exposed to air in an open container, bacteria can multiply more readily, and this risk is especially important for neonates and immunocompromised children. To minimize this risk, the recommended hang time at room temperature is limited to four hours. Use the milk within that window and discard anything left beyond four hours to reduce infection risk. If milk is kept refrigerated before decanting, longer storage can be possible, but once placed in an open system and at room temperature, four hours is the safe limit. The longer times listed would increase bacterial growth and are not advised for this patient population.