Purchasing breast milk poses risks

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
A growing number of parents are going to great lengths to feed their babies breast milk, buying it from licensed banks, accepting it from strangers and even purchasing it online.
Milk banks typically charge about $3 an ounce to cover their costs. By contrast, powdered formula can cost as little as 10 cents an ounce.
Doctors are alarmed that parents who are trying to help their babies could actually be threatening their health by using unscreened milk, whether from the Internet or friends, that can transmit diseases including AIDS.
The American Academy of Pediatrics supports the use of banked milk, as does La Leche League International, the world's largest breast-feeding resource. For mothers who can't breast-feed or afford banked milk, the group advises working with a doctor who can help screen donors.
An increasing amount of research shows that breast milk lessens the risk or severity of diseases, from bacterial meningitis to respiratory-tract infections to some viruses. And some studies suggest that it decreases the risk of sudden-infant-death syndrome, diabetes, obesity and asthma.
Parents who can't afford milk-bank prices and get unscreened milk from friends or via the Internet are raising red flags with doctors who say informally sharing milk is just too risky. In addition to disease, alcohol and some legal and illegal drugs can be passed along through breast milk.