When the World Health Organization recommends that breastfeeding be nursing mothers, they do not mean the milk they buy from their hands. Nevertheless, many American parents, fully convinced of the benefits of breastfeeding, buy and sell milk through the Internet, without thinking about its quality. Research has shown that breast milk, available online, is in most cases infected with bacteria that are dangerous to a child’s health.
Researchers from several Ohio research institutes compared 101 samples of milk, which are freely offered on the Internet (for example, on the websites onlythebreast.com and eatsonfeets.org), with 20 samples from banks of breast milk. Samples were tested for traces of pathogenic bacteria.
The audit showed that in 74 percent of cases, breast milk purchased on the Internet was infected with the bacteria of the E. coli group, reports Reuters news agency.
In no case should such milk be given to a child. “When you buy breast milk online, you have no idea what you are getting,” says study lead author Sarah Keim from the National Children's Hospital in Columbus.
Fortunately, none of the samples tested positive for HIV. As noted by researchers, infected breast milk is dangerous for newborns, especially for premature and unhealthy children.
If you still face the problem of breastfeeding, the researchers recommend purchasing breast milk in specialized institutions, where it is checked for disease and pasteurized, which ensures its safety. Breast milk purchased through a milk bank is more expensive than Internet milk. The average price in cans of breast milk is 6 dollars per ounce (28.35 g), and on the Internet only 1-2 dollars. In the first case, the cost is higher, but the health of the child is more expensive.
The study was published in the journal Pediatrics.
The article is based on materials .
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