Breast Milk Sold Online is Risky

Nearly 75% of the breast milk bought online was found to be harmful containing dangerous bacteria, including salmonella.

Human breast milk is available on many online sites for a few dollars an ounce, but a recent study from researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio found that buying such milk could be dangerous.

Researchers bought and tested 101 breast-milk samples procured from well-known sites. Nearly 75% of the samples contained high amounts of bacteria and this could make babies really sick.

"You have very few ways to know for sure what you are getting is really breast milk and that it's safe to feed your baby," said Sarah Keim, the lead author of the study and a researcher at Nationwide. "Because the consequences can be serious, it is not a good idea to obtain breast milk in this way."

"When human milk is obtained directly from individuals or through the Internet, the donor is unlikely to have been adequately screened for infectious disease or contamination risk. In addition, it is not likely that the human milk has been collected, processed, tested or stored in a way that reduces possible safety risks to the baby," says The FDA.



Source: Medindia