The strong emphasis on medical articles and news to breastfeed a child has prompted some mothers who have no milk or time to express it, to turn to online sales of what is supposed to be breastmilk.
But the people on the other end, the seller, are doing very little to ensure that the breast milk is safe.
Breast milk that is not obtained in an hygienic setting nor properly stored, can quickly spoil or be contaminated, and in some cases become very dangerous for the newborn that eventually gets to drink it.
Some of the samples of online sold breast milk were found to contain fecal bacteria. In a newborn, such bacteria can cause devastating bouts of diarrhea.
None of the samples obtained by the researchers who carried out the study on the fitness of online breast milk were free of contaminants or bacteria. Even frozen batches were found to be riddled with bacteria.
There is however, a network of organized milk banks that is safe. The problem is that mothers may not know which is the genuine site and which one is not.
This link is to the certified site where it is safe to buy breast milk: https://www.hmbana.org
Some of the samples also contained deadly staph and strep bacteria. In one case, the bacterial contaminant was cytomegalovirus, or CMV, which can be devastating in preemies or babies who are already ill.
The owner of the breast milk exchanges however, are taking the report as an assault on a mother's right to give her child breast milk. They are in fact, calling the report an outright lie. They even go so far as to insist that breast milk has bacteria, and that the bacteria is supposed to be there, to strengthen the baby's immune system.
But such statements are hollow in the face of possible sickness or infection of a newborn.
While it is true that beneficial bacteria are contained in breast milk, the high level and nature of the bacteria found in the samples could be harmful to the newborns.
The sites that share milk, furthermore, know the guidelines, but there is no way of knowing if the suppliers are following the hygiene standards necessary to render the milk safe.
Most of the sellers the researchers queried for product, in fact, failed to ship the milk even after payment. Some stonewalled the attempts by not replying or shutting down the site after the first attempt at contact by the researchers.
The problem is that certified pasteurized breast milk is hard to obtain, because the legitimate exchange banks do reserve large part of the milk for fragile, ill or premature babies.
The research also points to better communication between doctors and mothers, who can get information on legitimate breast milk exchanges, but also on how to resolve lactation problem with the newborn. There is a trend towards wanting to breast feed, but not always wanting to take the time to do it, either because of work costraints or other issues.
Formula however, the researchers say, is safer than taking chances by buying milk on the internet from an unknown or uncertified source.
Source : NBC / 10.21.13
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