Back when I was nursing my son, I wanted to become a milk donor. I was discouraged to see that I wouldn't qualify because I'd traveled in Africa and the U.K. at different times.
I think that a lot of mothers feel a bit put off by how strict the donor milk banking screening criteria are. But a new study shows exactly why this is important, and also makes it clear why organizations such as La Leche League discourage informal milk sharing.
A study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood examined the screening records of a U.S. donor milk bank (I assume the Mothers' Milk Bank of San Jose) over a six year period, and found that of donors screened, "3.3% were positive on screening serology, including 6 syphilis, 17 hepatitis B, 3 hepatitis C, 6 HTLV and 4 HIV."
Does this mean that mothers are trying to transmit diseases to vulnerable preterm babies? Of course not. What it means is that we don't always know our own status, even when it comes to diseases like HIV. This also means that anyone who accepts milk from another mother outside the donor milk banking system needs to be extremely careful. Knowing that a mom is healthy or "eats mostly organic" (which I've heard a few times) doesn't mean that they aren't carrying a potentially harmful disease. They might just not know it.
This also doesn't mean that donor milk is dangerous. Mothers who test positive for these and other diseases are obviously excluded from the donor pool, and the entire process involved verbal screening and letters from physicians, in addition to blood work. And all milk is pasteurized and tested multiple times to ensure zero bacterial content.
As the donor milk banks point out, in the 40 year history of modern milk banking, there hasn't been a single incident of harm done to a recipient of donor milk. And they fully intend to keep it that way, even if it means that some mothers (like me) aren't able to donate.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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