Breast milk is what's best for babies up to 24 months, but buying expressed milk online can be risky due to possible bacterial contamination.
Posing as a father of a six-month-old baby, a reporter from "BBC Inside Out" bought breast milk from mothers around Europe to have them tested by microbiologists for contamination.
Twelve samples of breast milk were brought to Coventry University, where the milk was tested by microbiologists. They then found that one-third of the samples contained the deadly bacteria E.coli, two of them were positive for Candida, the cause of thrush, and one even tested positive for pseudomonas aeruginosa, which reportedly caused the deaths of four babies last 2012.
Citing these findings as proof, Dr. Sarah Steele of Queen Mary University of London, cautioned parents about the danger of buying breast milk online and from unreliable sources.
She said that it is good that parents are starting to understand that breast milk is best for babies, but buying them from sources without knowing how the milk was handled or if the milk is even pure breast milk is putting the baby at unnecessary risk.
"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, [the sellers] are doing it for a profit and...[the milk may be tampered with]." Steele said.
Steele was part of the team of researchers who warned the public of the dangers of buying breast milk, stating that milk bought online comes with more risks than benefits of consuming it.
Online marketing of breast milk started when mothers who want them for their babies but are unable to breastfeed begun searching for alternative sources.
Breast milk market has also become popular among certain consumers like body builders and cancer survivors because of the hype that breast milk can boost immune system function, improve muscle building, recovery rate and nutritional status better than other forms of milk.
Steele, however refuted this, saying that there is not enough proof to prove the accuracy of this statement.
"Nutritionally, there is less protein in breast milk than other milks like cow's milk," Steele explained. "Chemical and environmental contaminants are known to make their way into breast milk, just like the food chain more broadly."
For those looking to acquire breast milk from alternative sources, experts advise them to go to centers that are known to screen and regulate distributed milk such as regulated milk banks.
They also warn the mothers of other potential risks babies are exposed to by drinking shared breast milk, despite proper handling.
"The main risks of sharing milk are that it is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria...or viruses," the European Milk Bank Association said in a statement. "In addition, the shared milk may contain medications taken by the mother as well as alcohol, nicotine, drugs and other contaminants."
Photo: Sander van der Wel | Flickr
