Breast Milk Banks - Proceed With Caution

There's nothing better for a newborn baby than mother's milk. That's a given. But what if you can't produce milk on your own? This happens sometimes with the mothers of premature babies. Their bodies aren't ready yet to produce milk if baby is born too early. What can a mom do if, for whatever reason, they can't breast feed their own child?

A new solution trending throughout the country is the Breast Milk Bank. Just this week there was an article in the news about the first breast milk bank now open in Miami. So what, exactly, is a breast milk bank? Essentially, it is a collection and distribution center. On its face, it seems like a good idea. Mom's who are able to produce an abundance of breast milk donate to the bank, and moms who cannot produce draw from the bank.

But, as with everything, it pays to look past the face. As I thought about this concept, a couple problems jumped out at me almost immediately-- milk quality, and (the bane of all milk products) pasteurization.

We'll start with pasteurization. All milk banks pasteurize the milk donations before they freeze them. The reason they pasteurize is to eliminate any pathogens that may be lurking in the milk-- because, no matter how well they screen the donors, germs will be germs. So, why is pasteurization a problem? Because, simply put, it harms the nutritional value of milk. Heat pasteurization damages vitamins and destroys lipase, an important enzyme that assists in breaking down fat in the human digestive system. Babies fed pasteurized breast milk do not thrive at the save level as naturally breast-fed infants.

The second problem is quality assurance. While milk banks do screen their donors, they cannot screen for every potentially harmful contaminant. Donor screening seeks to eliminate such things as "regular" use of medications or herbal supplements, but allows insulin and other hormone replacement drugs as well as nasal sprays, asthma inhalers and other "exceptions." They require a blood screening, and possibly DNA samples, but rely heavily on the honesty of the donor's application responses. There's really no way to control the quality of the donor milk once collection begins.

The argument has been made that a donor mother is also feeding a child of her own, and so will most likely be careful about the milk she produces. Does that instill confidence in YOU? It makes sense on the surface, but I'm afraid I've read too many stories of drug and alcohol babies. An extreme example, I admit...but a clear illustration that mom's don't always do what's best for their children. What about the mom who drinks a pot of coffee every day or has a couple glasses of wine (the donor limit is two ounces a day)? And then there are the less-obvious but equally concerning pollutants that find their way into breast milk through diet, such as soy components and chemical residues from processed foods.  And then there's mercury. A 1994 government publication found higher levels of mercury in the breast milk of mothers who ate a diet high in fish. Infants with a rapidly developing neurological system and an underdeveloped immune system are significantly more at risk of mercury toxicity than adults or even older children. Mercury is also a component in vaccines-- including the flu vaccine. Does the donor mom have a mouth full of amalgam fillings? These are a constant source of mercury contamination in her milk. Does the donor screening ask about whether or not the donor has recently had a flu shot or eats a diet high in fish or has a mouth full of amalgam fillings? Do they care?

Another option for a mother who wants breast milk for her baby but cannot provide it is the worldwide web. It seems you can buy absolutely anything online. The risks of buying breast milk online should be self-evident...but just in case you're still scratching your head, picture this:  Welfare mothers looking for cash. What you get will not be pasteurized...but in this case, pasteurization may be the lesser of two evils. I'm not saying this is the profile of online milk suppliers, but then...how do you know?

So, what am I saying?...whatever you do, stay away from somebody else's breast milk? Not necessarily. If you are weighing the life of a precious child against the risk they may not get all their vitamins-- the choice is clear. And thank God for breast milk banks.

There is one more option -- milk swapping. Milk swapping is more local...kind of like knowing your farmer. It is women within the same community helping one another. Even in this case, it pays to be cautious, but when you can look your donor in the face or call them on the phone and ask them very specific questions, the chances of knowing what you're getting increases dramatically. And the milk is not destroyed by pasteurization.

All things carry some degree of risk. The best solution is to nurse your own child if you can.  But frankly--unless you're the epitome of healthiness, even that has risk for all the same reasons given above. You're never going to entirely avoid risk. But if you must consider milk from another mom, do your homework and proceed with caution.