Short Communication. Witch's Milk: Potential for Neonatal Diagnosis

Abstract

Summary: The study population comprised 106 infants ranging from 4 days to 19 wk old. Fluid (witch's milk) was obtained from the infants' breasts by manual expression. To measure volume, fluid was drawn into calibrated capillary pipettes. The frequency of obtaining witch's milk was 71% for all infants and 100% for infants less than 3 wk of age. It declined with increasing age. The median volume of fluid obtained was 20 μ per sampling for all infants and 55 μ for babies ≤ 3 wk of age. Frequency of witch's milk recovery was significantly related to the degree of manual pressure applied but was not related to sex of the baby. Speculation: Because witch's milk was present in all babies less than 3 wk of age, in a volume suitable for microbiology and microchemistry tests, it might prove a useful body fluid for neonatal diagnostic tests. Analyses of witch's milk for microorganisms and levels of indicator chemicals would be a fertile area for future research.