CLE Milk Expression & Storage 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to current CDC guidelines, freshly expressed breast milk stored at room temperature (up to 77°F/25°C) can be safely kept for how long?
- Up to 4 hours (Correct answer)
- Up to 8 hours
- Up to 12 hours
- Up to 24 hours
Correct answer: Up to 4 hours
Current CDC guidelines recommend using freshly expressed milk within 4 hours when stored at room temperature up to 77°F for optimal safety.
Question 2: How long can freshly expressed breast milk be safely stored in a refrigerator set at 40°F (4°C) or below?
- Up to 24 hours
- Up to 2 days
- Up to 4 days (Correct answer)
- Up to 10 days
Correct answer: Up to 4 days
The CDC recommends using refrigerated expressed breast milk within 4 days for optimal quality and safety.
Question 3: What is the maximum recommended storage time for breast milk in a standard household freezer at 0°F (-18°C) for best quality?
- 2 months
- 6 months (Correct answer)
- 12 months
- 18 months
Correct answer: 6 months
While breast milk remains safe up to 12 months, 6 months is the recommended timeframe to preserve optimal nutritional and immunological quality.
Question 4: When combining breast milk from different pumping sessions, what is the safest practice?
- Mix warm freshly pumped milk directly with refrigerated milk
- Cool freshly pumped milk in the refrigerator before combining with older refrigerated milk (Correct answer)
- Combine all milk at room temperature before refrigerating
- Only combine milk pumped within the same pumping session
Correct answer: Cool freshly pumped milk in the refrigerator before combining with older refrigerated milk
Adding warm milk to cold stored milk raises its temperature and promotes bacterial growth; newly expressed milk must be cooled first before combining.
Question 5: Which method is NOT recommended for thawing frozen breast milk?
- Thawing overnight in the refrigerator
- Placing the sealed container in a bowl of warm water
- Microwaving the sealed storage bag or bottle (Correct answer)
- Running warm water over the sealed container
Correct answer: Microwaving the sealed storage bag or bottle
Microwaving breast milk creates dangerous hot spots that can burn the infant and destroys heat-sensitive antibodies and nutrients.
Question 6: After thawing frozen breast milk in the refrigerator, it should be used within:
- 12 hours
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 48 hours
- 72 hours
Correct answer: 24 hours
Previously frozen breast milk that has been thawed should be used within 24 hours to maintain safety and quality.
Question 7: What labeling information is most essential when storing breast milk at a childcare facility?
- Date of expression and time pumped only
- Date of expression and the infant's name (Correct answer)
- Mother's name, date, and her dietary restrictions
- Date, volume expressed, and feeding schedule
Correct answer: Date of expression and the infant's name
At a minimum, stored breast milk at childcare must be labeled with the date of expression and the infant's name to ensure the correct milk is given to the correct baby.
CLE Milk Expression & Storage 1
According to current CDC guidelines, freshly expressed breast milk stored at room temperature (up to 77°F/25°C) can be safely kept for how long?