by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM
Is it safe for a breastfeeding mother to sell or share her breastmilk?
Most families know that breastfeeding is the gold standard for infant nutrition, yet there are many mothers who cannot produce enough breastmilk. Some mothers have medical conditions which preclude breastfeeding, and families who adopt or give birth via surrogacy also desire to feed their infants breastmilk. Breastmilk from a milk bank associated with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, is expensive because of the banks’ financial overhead which involves donor screening, pasteurization, milk culturing, shipping, etc. The cost at approximately $5.00+/ounce is prohibitive for most families. Donor milk from for-profit milk banks is even more costly. This means that if a mother does not have enough breastmilk, her only choice is to find a milk donor, or to use formula. For many families, using formula has become an unacceptable or highly undesirable option.
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine recently published a position statement on informal sharing of breastmilk for the term infant.
What do you think are true statements about their policy? (choose 1 or more)
- If breastmilk is purchased from another family, families should not pay more than $1.00/ounce because it is not pasteurized.
- A woman is not a suitable donor if she smokes marijuana.
- All breastmilk obtained from a donor should be home pasteurized.
- The donor mother should be negative for hepatitis C.
- Milk sold on the internet has been found to be more problematic than milk shared on the internet.
See the Answer
Milk Mob Comment by Anne Eglash MD, IBCLC, FABM
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s position statement on informal milk sharing for the term healthy infant is an important guide for providers who have patients seeking counselling regarding the option of unpasteurized donor human milk for their infant(s). The position statement does not include hepatitis C screening for donors. In addition, the authors do not necessarily advocate for pasteurization of donor milk for term healthy infants, although the option is discussed. The statement discourages payment for donor milk due to conflict of interest.
A successful community model for safe sharing of breastmilk is the nonprofit, volunteer-run Mother’s Milk Alliance (link underlined to www.mothersmilkalliance.org in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Breastfeeding women who have extra milk have the option of donating milk to our local HMBANA bank, or to The Mother’s Milk Alliance. Breastmilk donors to the Mother’s Milk Alliance are screened much the same way that HMBANA banks screen donors. They undergo an interview and a blood screen, and if accepted, are advised on hygienic and safe breastmilk expression and storage. The donated breastmilk is brought to volunteers who maintain freezers for the organization. Donor milk recipient families are typically outpatient who need extra breastmilk. They are given health information about the donor, specifically what medications the donor is taking. Recipients pay a financial donation to the organization to help cover the costs of screening the donor. They are also given instructions on pasteurization if they choose to do so.
I again applaud the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine on its position statement because it enables families to have access to breastmilk in situations where they would otherwise fall through the cracks. Not every family will feel comfortable with informal breastmilk sharing, and there are communities where families don’t have access to safe informal breastfeeding sharing. Hopefully opportunities will become available for all who desire this.