A brand new study published in the journal Pediatrics reveals that 10 percent of breast milk samples obtained online is tainted. Such milk might contain both human milk and cow's milk.
This research supports the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) warning. It has stated that purchasing breast milk online created health and impurity risks.
The research team purchased 102 bottles of breast milk on the web. It then evaluated the samples to check for human DNA or cow DNA.
All of the milk samples had human DNA. In addition, 10 percent of the samples also included cow DNA, according to Time.
Dr. Sarah Keim of Nationwide Children's Hospital believes that the online-purchased breast milk contains cow's milk from the store, or infant formula. She explains that both of the substances would appear "a lot" like milk from humans.
The researchers found more than small "trace amounts" of cow DNA in the Internet-sold breast milk. This suggested that the cow's milk was added on purpose.
In fact, the impure samples contained enough cow DNA that made it possible for the cartons to contain 50 percent breast milk, and 50 percent cow's milk. One of the samples was nearly 50 percent infant formula.
The tainted breast milk could cause various health issues for the infants who drink it. Some infants cannot digest cow's milk properly, or have an allergy to the protein in cow's milk, according to Live Science.
Keim explains that breast milk online can cost up to $2 per ounce (30 ml). That increases the chance for fraud.
Next, the team will investigate various other dangers that the FDA has warned about breast milk sold online. One such example is prohibited drugs that could be hiding in the liquid.
A root cause of the problem is that the market for online breast milk is almost entirely unregulated. Keim's 2013 study discovered that almost three-fourths of Internet milk samples contained drug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.
Health experts recommend that infants be breast fed until at least they are one year old. It is widely considered the best nutritional option for them.