Mothers Beware! Breast Milk Purchased Online Contains Deadly Bacteria in the UK

A microbiological analysis by the Coventry University has revealed that the samples of breast milk sold online by the British Mothers contain harmful and potentially deadly bacteria.

12 samples of breast milk were collected from the Mothers company in the UK. Experts from the University analyzed the samples and found out that it contained E.Coli. One sample had Candida and another contained the deadly bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This bug caused the deaths of four babies in a neonatal unit in Northern Ireland in 2012.

Dr Sarah Steele, from Queen Mary University of London, said, "Parents have heard the message breast is best, which is absolutely the case but this is stuff bought off the internet. You don't know the seller, you don't know how they've been storing it, you don't know what it contains and, more pertinently, they're often doing this for profit and that poses the risk that they may tamper with it, water it down, be it with water, formula, cow's milk or soya milk."

Researchers from Queen Mary University warned in June that buying breast milk online which was popular among bodybuilders and cancer patients as well as mothers on websites and social media groups was a danger to health, as it is unpasteurized and could carry dangerous germs. Some 93 percent of breast milk sold online contains detectable levels of bacteria due to how it is expressed and stored.

NHS recommends that breastfeeding is best for babies as they are less likelihood of becoming obese, have fewer chest and ear infections and less chance of becoming ill with diarrhea and vomiting.

Source: Medindia