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Introduction: Natural feeding is the recommended method of nourishing newborns. When breastfeeding is not possible it is necessary to stimulate lactation and express breast milk. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was bacteriological evaluation of breast milk obtained from mothers of low birth weight newborns both in hospital and at home. Material and methods: The study included 50 mothers of infants of body weight below 2000 g treated at the Department of Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Medical University in Bialystok. 92 samples of milk (50 obtained in hospital and 42 obtained at home) were included in the analysis. Non-parametric test for independent samples (Mann-Whitney U test) was applied. Results: 88% of strains cultured in milk obtained in hospital were bacteria belonging to physiological skin flora, 71% grew in low concentrations ⩽104 the cfu/ml. Physiological skin flora represented 80% of bacteria cultured in milk expressed at home, the growth in low concentrations ⩽104 the cfu/ml was characteristic of 53% of bacteria. Considering the number of samples obtained in hospital and at home which can be given to newborns as fresh (physiological bacterial flora concentrations ⩽104 cfu/ml), those containing physiological flora bacteria at a concentration ⩾105 cfu/ml, and samples including pathogenic bacteria, did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Physiological skin flora in low concentrations comprises the majority of cultured bacteria in human milk obtained both in hospital and at home. There were no differences of bacterial growth in milk samples obtained in hospital and at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]