In Spain it is not usual, but in countries such as the United States, Germany or Canada, there are several pages dedicated to the sale of breast milk online for those cases in which the mother cannot offer it firsthand to her baby. But this is not like buying some shoes, the sale of breast milk is an unregulated activity that can pose serious risks to the baby's health.
The Collegiate Medical Organization of Spain (WTO) has just warn about the dangers of buying breast milk through the internet because of "its poor security guarantees", since "hygiene and cold chain" are not guaranteed and there is "risk of disease transmission". Therefore, if you have ever considered the possibility of doing so, it is an idea to discard, since by wanting to give your baby the best you could end up hurting him. If you want security, you can turn to the milk banks that provide all the necessary guarantees.
No sanitary control
The business of selling breast milk online has become fashionable in some countries. For example, in Germany, a 37-year-old mother, with two children, launched the Muttermilch Börse website (which is currently not in operation) in which breast milk was offered at the market price, which is around five euros a hundred milliliters.
Since today everything is bought and sold at the click of a click, why not also do it with breast milk? Of course, in these pages ensure that each mother specifies the diseases they suffer, the consumption of caffeine, alcohol or drugs. But how is it controlled? Who assures you that the milk you are buying is not contaminated? It is impossible to contrast.
As we said before, it's not about buying shoes. The shoes, if you don't do well or don't convince you, you change them. We talk about another person's body fluid that will feed your baby. And we are not even sure that it is breast milk or may be mixed with water, with cow's milk or adulterated with any other substance.
The risks of buying breast milk online
In Spain it is not a booming business as it is in other countries, and hopefully it will remain so. While breast milk is best for the baby, the baby's health cannot be jeopardized with food that is not guaranteed. Breast milk purchased online is not a valid alternative when the mother, for whatever reason, cannot feed her child with her own milk.
The WTO says it in its study entitled "The business of breast milk online." Breast milk marketed in the network does not ensure its "hygiene", or the continuity of the cold chain in its transport, or "the absence of possible bad habits (alcohol or drugs) or poorly balanced diets of the donor mother."
The Spanish Pediatric Association also warns. There is a risk of transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, bacterial infections, in addition to the possibility of using contaminated or adulterated milk. On its public website:
Using mother's milk without any control poses a high risk to the baby's health. For it to be safe and of quality, it is necessary to follow guidelines such as those used in milk banks, which include a donor selection process, hygienic extraction, the use of suitable containers, a transport that respects the cold chain, the realization of microbiological cultures, pasteurization, ... In short, to ensure safety and quality, careful management of breast milk as a biological product with potential risk of contamination and transmission of infectious diseases is required. Compliance with all these requirements is hardly verifiable in online sales.
The role of milk banks
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that when the mother's own milk is not available, the best option is pasteurized milk from selected donor mothers. That is, through certified milk banks. Spain has eight milk banks: in Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Granada, Castilla y León and Mérida (even more would be needed) located inside the hospitals.
In milk banks it is guaranteed that the extraction, processing and storage of breast milk is carried out completely safely. In this mini documentary we can see how the milk bank of the Hospital La Fé of Valencia works
Mothers pass checks before they are accepted as donors, which take into account both their lifestyle habits and the performance of serology tests to rule out possible infections. The process of extracting, preserving and transporting milk is also carefully controlled so that it is carried out in the best conditions. To this, a process of pasteurization is added to eliminate viruses and micro bacteria and thus obtain a safe product.
If you want to donate your milk there are at least seven things you should know to be a donor of breast milk such as, for example, that the bank will provide you with containers to freeze the extracted milk and will give you instructions on how you should keep it until the time of collection for Ensure it arrives in good condition.
Don't play it with something so serious. In Spain, breast milk sales websites are not extended (or at least they are not officially known), but if you have ever considered it, consider the danger that it can pose to the health of your baby.
