Health watchdogs should regulate online sales of breast milk, so prone to contamination that babies may be placed at risk, the British Medical Journal has said in an editorial.
New mums face mounting social pressure to provide breast milk, given its famous nutritional benefits, and more and more are turning to the internet if they are unable to provide the milk themselves.
Breast milk purchased online is cheaper than that obtained from regulated breast milk banks.
The reason, the editorial said, is that internet providers cut corners on the cost of checking donors and on storing and shipping the milk in hygienic conditions.
"Unlike donors at licensed milk banks, online sellers are not required to undergo any serological screening, meaning that diseases such as hepatitis B and C, HIV, human T cell lymphotrophic virus and syphilis may not be detected," it said.
The editorial pointed to several published studies highlighting the risks.
One found that 21 percent of tested samples of internet-bought breast milk were contaminated with a herpes virus called cytomegalovirus, compared to five percent from a regulated bank.
Another found that 92 of 101 online samples tested positive for bacterial growth, likely due to a lack of pasteurisation, and poor shipping and storage conditions.
Another investigation into 102 online samples found that 25 percent arrived with severely damaged packaging and were no longer frozen, leading to more rapid bacterial growth and contamination.
AFP
source: newshub archive
