Health Professionals Update – Vol. 19, No. 15
From:
Dr. Hetal Patel, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC, Associate Medical Officer of Health
In this issue
- Updated guidance on safe storage of expressed breast milk
- Expanded Baby Feeding Support Clinic service hours in Brampton and Mississauga
- Reminder: transition to email only delivery of HPUs
Key messages
- Peel Public Health (PPH) has updated guidance on safe storage of expressed breast milk to align with current evidence and to promote infant safety.
- Expanded Baby Feeding Support Clinic service hours are now available in Peel Region in response to increasing demand.
Updated guidance on safe storage of expressed breast milk
PPH has revised its guidance on storing expressed breast milk to reflect current evidence, promote infant safety, and support consistency in messaging for Peel families. Updated guidance aligns with the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) Clinical Protocol #8, and with messaging used by hospital partners, neighbouring public health units, and reputable health organizations such as the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and La Leche League Canada. The revised recommendations reflect a more conservative approach to storage timelines to further support safe handling and storage of expressed breast milk.
Health care providers play a key role in reinforcing clear, consistent infant feeding messages throughout prenatal and postnatal care. Providing unified, evidence-based guidance supports safer feeding practices and increases caregiver confidence.
Updated storage guidelines for expressed breast milk
| Room temperature: 16-29 C | Fridge: about 4 C | Freezer: -4 to -20 C | Previously frozen, thawed for 24 hours, at room temp |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 4 hours | < 4 days | < 6 months | < 2 hours |
For more information, visit expressing breast milk
Expanded Baby Feeding Support Clinic service hours
Peel Region continues to experience a growing number of births annually, with more than 17,000 babies born in 2024. Increased demand for postpartum support has highlighted the importance of accessible and timely infant feeding services for families.
As of May 4, 2026, PPH expanded Baby Feeding Support clinic service hours at two locations to improve timely access to postpartum infant feeding support.
Eligibility
- Families with infants under 6 weeks who need support with breastfeeding initiation or mixed feeding (breastfeeding and formula feeding)
- No OHIP required
Clinic information
Brampton Baby Feeding Support Clinic
10 Peel Centre Drive, Brampton
Meadowvale Baby Feeding Support Clinic
6975 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle, Mississauga
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. by appointment only.
For patients seeking information or support, health care providers can share the following options:
- Call 905-799-7700 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to self-refer and speak directly with a Public Health Nurse.
- Email peelhealth@peelregion.ca
For direct referrals from health care providers, complete and fax the online referral form
For more information about Baby Feeding Support clinics and services, visit baby feeding support services.
Reminder: transition to email only delivery of HPUs
As part of our commitment to improving efficiency and reducing reliance on fax technology, we are gradually transitioning to email-only delivery of Health Professionals Updates (HPUs).
What this means for you
- If you have already provided consent to receive HPUs by email, no action is required.
- If you have consented to receive HPUs by both fax and email, starting June 2026, HPUs will be sent by email only.
- If you receive HPUs by fax only, provide us with an email address to ensure you continue receiving these important updates.
- Send the full name you used to sign up and email address to healthprofessionals@peelregion.ca.
- HPUs will continue to be sent by fax while we support the transition to email.
- If we do not receive an email address from you, you will no longer be able to receive HPUs via fax after December 2026.
Contact us
The Health Professionals Update (HPU) is distributed to physician offices in Peel region via email. Share this update with other health professionals in your clinic.
More information:
For questions about this update, email healthprofessionals@peelregion.ca.