Breast milk is the most natural food on Earth and -- some would argue -- the most essential for a baby's health. Still, it isn't something every woman can produce. For those who can't, the quest to obtain it can become a mission.
They spend hours a day finding their own donors. They surf the Internet, go to classes where new moms congregate, visit chat rooms and seek referrals from lactation consultants -- all to find a nursing mother who's producing too much of a good thing and has some to spare.
Two factors fuel the trend. One, mothers have learned the many health benefits of breast milk, thanks in part to the strong encouragement from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization. And two, new mothers have greater access to breast milk sources through the Internet.
Breast-feeding experts agree that the find-it-yourself movement is growing. But the nature of the Internet and word-of-mouth relationships make it difficult to determine whether hundreds, or thousands, of women are seeking breast milk from unlicensed providers.
The Human Milk Banking Assn. says that the demand for human milk has increased 37% over the last four years. Last year, the association reported that its active milk banks distributed more than 560,000 ounces of milk, compared with 410,000 in 2000. During the first two months of 2005, demand has outpaced last year's by 15%, said Mary Tagge, secretary for the organization.
Although health experts don't want to malign mother's milk, the fact is, getting it from some place other than a milk bank could endanger an infant's health.
"Breast milk is a human tissue and therefore carries the same risks that transferring other human tissues carry," said Ron Harkey, section chief of tissue, blood banking and cytology surveillance for the California Department of Health Services. Babies could contract diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis, he says, or become ill from contaminated milk that hasn't been properly collected and stored.
"Your next-door neighbor might be a wonderful person," Harkey said, "but when it comes to sharing something like her milk, she could put your baby at risk."
California and New York (but no other states) even have laws that prohibit unlicensed providers from distributing breast milk, which can transmit disease.
But some women are not easily deterred. They've heard for years about the brain- and immunity-boosting benefits of breast milk, and they're determined to give their children every advantage.
