Breast Milk Goes for $1000 a Liter on Black Market
Mothers who want to breastfeed but can’t sometimes turn to a milk bank, where donated milk is screened for safety and resold at a relatively reasonable price.
But in Australia, demand for breast milk is so high — and supply so low — that a black market of sorts has developed, where a liter of breast milk goes for as much as $1,000.
The issue of feeding another woman’s breast milk to your child has been around for a while. Salma Hayek did it in Africa, and in some circles/families, it’s completely normal for a trusted sister or friend to lift her shirt for a loved one’s baby.
But getting breast milk from either a known source or a breast milk bank that screens its donors is one thing. Milk off a “black market?” Is that really safer than bottle feeding your baby? After all, formula can’t give your baby hepatitis.
A high demand for breast milk is a good problem to have, for babies at least, but it sounds like Australia needs to get on the ball and regulate the process so that parents can choose a healthy and safe food for their baby.
Would you ever feed your baby breast milk that wasn’t from a milk bank — be it from a stranger or friend?
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[...] Breast Milk Goes for $1000 a Liter on Black Market [...]
I would sooner give my children a strangers milk than formula. Have you read the ingredients lately?
I am concerned about the potential to infect a child with Hepatitis, HIV or other infectious disease with non-screened milk. And being a staunch supporter of breast-feeding, I still think it would be safer to feed a baby formula than breast milk from an unknown source, besides $1000 is just crazy.
[...] Breast Milk Goes for $1000 a Liter on Black Market [...]
[...] Breast Milk Goes for $1000 a Liter on Black Market [...]
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I donate breastmilk to other women who cannot for whatever reason make enough or any breastmilk for their babes. I do this through Milkshare. I tell the moms that they may have copies of my infectious disease status from my pregnancy or they can pay for my blood to be tested. Most parents don’t check, they want to know that I’m willing. I’ve donated many many liters to others, over 40 gallons to date; I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but all the moms I’ve worked with would rather give another mom’s milk than supplement with formula.
Yes, there would be some risks to human milk, but not nearly the risks of formula. Formula recalls are COMMON and babies have died because of formula. Cases of baby getting HIV or hepatitis from another women’s breastmilk, not so many (can’t find any stats on it actually.)
Hepatitis can also lead to liver cirrhosis if it has not been taken care of.;:;