Risks of informal breast milk sharing
Do not buy human milk from anyone other than a milk bank. Milk purchased online has been shown to be mixed with cow's milk or rice milk. It may also be contaminated with bacteria and cotinine, a chemical from cigarette smoke. Know that informally shared milk is not pasteurized or tested.
Risks of Informal Breast Milk Sharing:
Contamination — Milk purchased online may be contaminated with bacteria or harmful substances, such as cotinine from cigarette smoke.
Lack of Screening — Donors in informal sharing networks are often not medically screened, increasing the risk of transmitting infections.
Quality Concerns — Informally shared milk may be diluted with cow's milk or rice milk, compromising its nutritional value.
Legal and Ethical Issues — The sale of breast milk online raises ethical concerns and may violate local laws.
Health Risks for Infants — Infants consuming untested milk are at risk for serious health issues, including gastrointestinal infections
American Academy of Pedaitrics statement 2024:
Health care providers should discourage families from direct human milk sharing or purchasing human milk from the Internet because of the increased risks of bacterial or viral contamination of nonpasteurized milk and the possibility of exposure to medications, drugs, or other substances, including cow milk protein.
FDA does not recommend feeding your baby breast milk acquired directly from individuals or through the Internet
When human milk is obtained directly from individuals (such as peer-to-peer sharing groups) or through the Internet, the donor is unlikely to have been adequately screened for infectious disease, medication and substance use, environmental exposures, or other contamination risks. In addition, it is not likely that the milk was collected, handled, processed, tested, or stored in a way that adequately protected your baby from possible safety risks.
Consider the possible safety risks
If you are considering feeding a baby with human milk from a source other than the baby’s mother, you should know that there are possible health and safety risks for the baby. If the donor has not been adequately screened, the donated milk may expose the baby to various infectious diseases (e.g., Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV) or harmful residues (e.g., from illegal/recreational drugs, some prescription drugs, or some over-the-counter medications). In addition, if proper practices are not followed during pumping, handling, storage, or preparation of human milk, then it could become contaminated and unsafe to drink.
If you choose to use informally shared human milk, here are some recommendations to reduce risks:
Do not buy human milk from anyone other than a milk bank. Milk purchased online has been shown to be mixed with cow's milk or rice milk. It may also be contaminated with bacteria and cotinine, a chemical from cigarette smoke.
Know that informally shared milk is not pasteurized or tested. It is often donated by mothers or other lactating parents who have stored extra milk in their freezer and are willing to help those in need. It is up to the recipients to determine the safety of these donors through careful screening.
One key to reducing the risks of informal milk sharing is open communication between the donor and the recipient about their medical history and lifestyle habits to ensure the milk is safe and free from medications, drugs, alcohol, and infectious diseases that can harm your baby. Many parents who participate in informal milk sharing either ask that their donor provide copies of test results showing they are free from infectious diseases or review the requirements to pasteurize the breast milk just before the baby's consumption.
Questions to Ask a Potential Donor
Collection of Milk:
When was the milk collected and how old is their infant or child?
How is the milk handled? Do they wash their hands before handling and pump directly into a sterile container?
How quickly do they refrigerate or store the milk after pumping?
Will the milk be transported on ice?
Donor Health:
Do they have any medical conditions, recent illness, or infection?
What medications, supplements, or herbs do they take?
Do they use recreational drugs or alcohol? (If yes, which drug, how much, and how often?)
Do they have any cigarette or marijuana exposure in the home?
Are they willing to share the results of their prenatal labs (medical tests done during pregnancy), such as for HIV, Hepatitis B, and C (liver infections caused by viruses)?
Have they had any rashes on their breasts, chest, or nipples, such as Herpes (a viral infection causing sores) or Impetigo (a skin infection)?
Have they recently traveled?
Have they had any recent tattoos (since delivery, due to risk of Hepatitis or HIV transmission)?
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