Pink is a pretty color which has won the heart of many. But it does not feel pretty when your breastmilk, baby formula, feeding bottles, and bibs suddenly turn pink. Parents pass the newborn stage with the fear of what might go wrong and this pinky surprise will definitely shock them. Keep reading to know what turns milk and bottles pink, how it might affect your baby, and how to deal with it when everything has gone pink.
CONTENT
1. Why does baby formula/breastmilk turn pink?
2. What is Serratia marcscens?
3. Is Serratia marcscens bad for the babies?
4. How does Serratia marcscens transmit?
5. How to identify a Serratia marcscens infection?
6. Symptoms of Serratia marcscens infection
7. How to diagnose and treat Serratia marcscens infections?
8. What to do with infected baby bottles and other baby items?
1. Why does baby formula/breastmilk turn pink?
The reason for this color change in baby formula, breast milk, and baby bottles is a microbial culprit who is called Serratia marcscens. They leave a light red hue which is responsible for the pink color of the milk and pink stains in the baby’s clothes. If you are feeding baby formula to your baby, it is less likely that baby formula itself carries Serratia marcscens as extensive tests and procedures are performed by the manufacturers to ensure that no traces of Enterobacteria are present.
But the water you use to prepare formula and wash the bottles, the drying clothes, improper sterilization, and unclean hands can bring Serratia marcscens to your baby’s bottle. This bacteria is also present in our surroundings, in water, soil, and plants which can easily infect the mother and then turn breastmilk pink.
When you identify a Serratia marcscens infection your next question will obviously be from where did it get here? But unfortunately, there is no one perfect answer for that problem.
A proper diagnosis will be required to confirm the presence of Serratia marcscens. It will involve a test of culture for which you will have to contact your pediatrician first. Your pediatrician will help you to identify what caused the infection and the infected baby and/or mother will have to undergo an anti-bacterial treatment. If your baby is not well and shows symptoms of an infection such as fever, seek medical support as soon as possible.
2. What is Serratia marcscens?
Bizio, who is an Italian pharmacist discovered Serratia marcscens in 1819 as a cause of the reddish discoloration on cornmeal mush. It is an opportunistic nosocomial bacterial pathogen producing light red color pigments called prodigiosin.
Opportunistic pathogens do not harm the host usually but if the immunity of the infected is weak, symptoms can appear. Nosocomial means that this bacteria is originating in hospitals. Nevertheless, Serratia marcscens is occurring naturally in soil and water. Serratia marcescens is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family of bacteria.
People who have weak immune systems, patients who are taking broad-spectrum antibiotics, and ICU patients who are under heavy medical interventions such as feeding tubes, urinary catheters can get easily infected by this bacteria.
3. Is Serratia marcscens bad for the babies?
Serratia marcscens is an opportunistic pathogen that will impact only the weak hosts. Therefore, the risk of developing a disease from Serratia marcscens is low for a healthy baby. In most cases, there are no antibiotic treatments prescribed to the baby or the breastfeeding mother. If the mother has another health condition such as mastitis, antimicrobial therapy might be needed. If your baby does not look sick and does not show any symptoms of an infection, it is not a reason to worry but better contact your pediatrician and confirm whether it is exactly Serratia marcscens and not another cause.
4. How does Serratia marcscens transmit?
Serratia marcscens is nosocomial bacteria so you can get infected easily at a hospital. You visit or get admitted to a hospital for some other health issue and while you are at the hospital, you can get infected from this bacteria. There is a chance that Serratia marcscens comes to your body from hand-to-hand contact with the medical professionals who are widely exposed to the bacteria in the hospital.
Breastmilk can transmit Serratia marcscens to a baby if the mother is infected. Pumping, storing, and preparing breastmilk to feed should be done hygienically to prevent incidents of bacterial infections like this. There is a possibility of Serratia marcscens’ excretory material to be included in infected breastmilk but most of the babies are reported as non-symptomatic even after being fed with such breastmilk unknowingly.
Baby formula can also transmit Serratia marcscens although formula itself will not carry any bacteria. The water used to prepare the milk, kitchen towels used to dry the bottle and improper sterilization can infect the formula-fed babies. Serratia marcscens is present in the natural environment and therefore in our households. So they can infect baby’s milk unless they are not handled hygienically.
5. How to identify a Serratia marcscens infection?
To confirm the presence of Serratia marcscenes in a certain culture, a laboratory test is compulsory. But the pink residue produced by the bacteria is an easy indicator to identify a Serratia marcscenes infection.
- Breastmilk is white when expressed but turns pink when left at room temperature for sometimes
- Pink stained bibs, burp cloths, towels, and baby clothes.
- Pink stained baby bottles and bottle parts.
- Diapers with pink stains.
6. Symptoms of Serratia marcscens infection
Most of the infected babies and mothers remain non-symptomatic but if there are any symptoms, they can be vary depending on the infected area of the body. Serratia marcscens cause diseases such as urinary infections, respiratory infections, biliary tract infections, peritonitis, and infections in wounds. Following symptoms can be observed in Serratia marcscens infected babies although it is rare.
- Surgical wound infections
- Sepsis
- Bloodstream infections
- Meningitis
- Keratitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Urinary tract infections
- Pneumonia
7. How to diagnose and treat Serratia marcscens infection?
When you notice pink stained baby items or pink breastmilk/formula, meet your pediatrician with a sample of infected milk or an item as a culture for a laboratory test. When it is confirmed that Serratia marcscenes is present in the culture, the doctor will prescribe the treatments as well as support you to identify from where you could have got infected. Most of the time, antimicrobial treatments are not used. But if the baby or the breastfeeding mother is in a special situation that requires medical help, the treatments will be prescribed accordingly.
8. What to do with infected bottles?
When you are confirmed that there is a Serratia marcscens infection and need to get rid of it, the first step should be sterilizing everything that you use on your baby. There are several methods for sterilization as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Boiling
- Put all the items that you want to sterilize in a pan and fill it with water. (Make sure all the items are heat resistant and will not be damaged in boiling)
- Heat the water to the boiling point and let the items boil for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the items with a tong and place them on a safe surface to dry.
Steaming
- Several steam sterilizers are available in the market. Some work with electric power and some have to be steam-sterilized using the microwave.
Dishwasher
- If your dishwasher has the sanitizing option you can use it or just use hot water. The temperature of hot water will be high enough to kill the bacteria.
Bleaching solution
- Add 2 teaspoons of unscented bleach per gallon of water into a clean vessel. Immerse all the items to be sterilized into this solution. If you are sterilizing baby bottles, do not forget to add all the bottle parts including nipples.
- Remove them from the solution with tongs. There is no need to wash as bleach will be gone once dried causing no harm to the baby. Washing with water can expose the bottles to germs again. Remember you dry these sterilized items in a clean area.
