More moms turn to milk sharing as breastfeeding options are turning into a top priority for a child's nourishment. Though it may seem like a generous gesture for mothers to share their breast milk, some experts suggest that there may be some health risks involved.
Parenting explains that milk sharing can either carry benefits or put the baby at risk. Milk banks are the best way to acquire breast milk for mothers who would want to give their child the best nourishment. Breast milk that is available in milk banks is screened making sure that it is safe for the nursing child. Aside from the milk itself, the mothers are also screened for HIV and hepatitis.
Though milk banks are easily available, a report from Fox News stated mothers these days would opt to share their milk in a more direct approach. Sharing their breast milk in a nontraditional way (nursing the baby directly) may seem taboo, but most mothers would usually do it. Some could not produce their own milk would hire a wet nurse, while some would turn to other lactating mothers for help.
Parents that opted for direct milk sharing may only want what's best for their child, but it can potentially place them at risk. According to Ari Brown, MD, there are several health risks a child is being exposed to when engaging in a direct milk sharing approach.
"We support breastfeeding, but if you can't nurse, we recommend breast milk from a milk bank, or that you use formula," according to Brown, M.D., spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Even if you have a good friend who wants to donate milk, you can't guarantee that it's free of infections, like HIV. Breast milk is a bodily fluid, just like blood. Would you be willing to give your baby a blood transfusion without first having it tested?"
