Breast Milk Bought Online Contains Disease-Causing Bacteria, Researchers Say

Buyers might now have to think twice before ordering breast milk online.

A new study has shown that at least three-fourths of all breast milk samples bought over the internet had bacteria that could cause disease in infants.

The study was conducted by researchers at Center for Biobehavioral Health at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and their colleagues. The team bought breast milk online and conducted several tests to determine the quality of the milk sample.

"We were surprised so many samples had such high bacterial counts and even fecal contamination in the milk, most likely from poor hand hygiene. We were also surprised a few samples contained salmonella," said Sarah A. Keim, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health, according to a news release. "Other harmful bacteria may have come from the use of either unclean containers or unsanitary breast milk pump parts."

For the study, researchers conducted analysis of 101 milk samples and compared them with 20 breast milk samples obtained from a milk bank. Several non-profit milk banks in the U.S. follow Human Milk Banking Association of North America guidelines to ensure that the milk supplied is from healthy donors and is pasteurized. However, independent breast milk supplying agencies often don't follow safety standards and sell low-quality milk.

Most mothers produce enough milk to sustain their babies. However, premature babies might not receive enough milk from their mothers. Milk banks ensure that sick infants get enough breast milk.

Researchers found that many breast-milk providers compromise on hygiene and shipping costs, which results in babies getting bacteria-laden milk.

"Based on our research, it is not safe to buy breast milk online, and the Food and Drug Administration recommends against sharing milk obtained in that way. Recipients are not able to determine for sure if the milk has been tampered with, or contains harmful drugs or pharmaceuticals, or if the information the provider supplied about their health was truthful," said Dr. Keim, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.