Health risks
Poor hygiene in collection, handling and storage, poor pasteurization, non-compliance with the cold chain, websites selling breast milk sell products that are dangerous for the health of infants.
Professor Jean-Charles Picaud, president of the Association Des Lactariums de France – ADLF recalls that “using milk that does not come from a lactarium involves infectious and viral risks. Milk can be contaminated with bacteria or viruses such as Staphylococci, but also Streptococci. These germs ingested in large quantities in breast milk can cause severe infections (sepsis, meningitis) in newborns. In addition, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) viruses and T-lymphotrophic virus (HTLV) can be transmitted through breast milk. All of these viruses can cause serious illness in the short term, but also in the much longer term. “
He explains that “whey farms provide safe breast milk to premature infants. Because, well-done pasteurization eliminates bacteria and most viruses. He also recalls that “donor mothers undergo serological screening and answer a detailed health questionnaire.”
75% of breast milk sold on the Internet is dangerous
Unfortunately the news reminds us of the dangers described by Professor Jean-Charles Picaud. In the United States, where the sale of breastmilk is authorized on the Internet, the number of advertisements is multiplying (13,000 offers published in 2013). A team of researchers from Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio (USA) analyzed 101 samples of breast milk purchased online. They compared these results to those of 20 samples from a lactarium.
The study found that “75% of breast milk sold on the Internet is unsafe. More than 60% of the samples found online contained staphylococci and 30% streptococci. Other bacteria like salmonella and E. Coli were also detected in higher proportions than normal. As for the samples from whey, 25% of them contained staphylococci and 20% streptococci. “
On April 29, 2011, the Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) alerted to the existence on the internet of a global network for sharing breast milk “The Human Milk for Human Babies global network” had already issued a warning on the risks associated with the exchange of breast milk from person to person.
To find a lactarium in France: French lactariums associations
