Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the temperature curve of raw or pasteurized human milk exposed to different heating methods. METHOD: Experiments with volumes of 5 ml to 100 ml of human milk were carried out between 2016 and 2021 and analyzed according to the exposure time by different heating methods. Descriptive statistics included the calculation of means, medians, minimum and maximum values, measures of dispersion and standard deviation. RESULTS: The thermal curve made it possible to identify the heating of human milk close to body temperature when subjected to a water bath and microwaves. Milk exposed to room temperature (21°C) was unable to reach this temperature. When heated in a water bath at 40°C, smaller volumes reached body temperature between 3 and 5 minutes, while in a microwave at 50% power, practically all volumes reached temperature. CONCLUSION: The temperature curves of raw or pasteurized human milk were constructed, and it was possible to verify its behavior using different heating methods for administering the food in a neonatal intensive care unit, considering the volume, type and time of heating and temperature.