IMPORTANT POLICY UPDATE
In March 2011, the LLLI Board of Directors adopted the following policy regarding the donation of human milk:
Donating Human MilkLa Leche League International fully supports the use of human milk for babies. The first priority of LLLI is to help mothers breastfeed their babies. A second priority is helping mothers to express and safely store their own milk for their babies. When their own mother's milk is unavailable, babies may need human milk donated by other mothers. It is essential that this donated milk be safe.
As an international organization, LLLI is aware that many mothers in many cultures have informally shared their breastmilk and wet nursed among family members and trusted friends. LLLI also recognizes that in times of severe maternal illness/death and natural disaster, sharing milk has been lifesaving. The latter special circumstances, however, are beyond the scope of this policy statement. In keeping with the recommendations of the Health Advisory Council of the LLLI Professional Advisory Board, LLLI has developed stringent guidelines concerning the collection and use of donated human milk.
When a mother contacts a Leader seeking donated human milk, the Leader shall respond with information and support. This shall include information about induced lactation and/or relactation. The Leader shall also suggest the mother dialogue with an appropriate, licensed health care provider and contact a licensed human milk bank or other regulated and medically supervised human milk collection center in her country. The Leader shall inform any mother interested in using donated human milk for her baby, whether on an occasional or on a long term basis, of the documented benefits and risks connected with this form of infant feeding. Benefits include, but are not limited to: optimal nutrition, easy digestibility, and immunologic protection. Risks can include, but are not limited to: transmission of certain infectious agents, like bacteria or viruses, some of which may be found in milk expressed by asymptomatic women; drugs; possibly some environmental contaminants, and potentially unhygienic storage and handling of unprocessed donated milk. Milk from a qualified milk bank will require donors meet specific health requirements before accepting their donated milk, which eliminates many of those risks. Each country sets its own standards for milk donors and these screening criteria are available by contacting the milk banks directly. If a mother is interested in donating her milk, a Leader shall provide contact information for licensed human milk banks or other regulated and medically supervised collection centers. A Leader shall never pressure a mother to donate or to continue donating her milk. All identifying information concerning the donors and recipients shall remain confidential. A Leader shall remind a potential donor mother that her own baby has a natural priority to her milk. A Leader shall inform a potential donor that: 1) a donor may request complete information from the milk bank or collection center about how her milk will be used; 2) a donor may inquire if she may restrict how her milk will be used; 3) a donor may make her decision about donation in the light of the information she receives from the milk bank or collection center.
A Leader shall never initiate the suggestion of an informal milk-donation arrangement or act as an intermediary in such a situation. If a mother wishes to discuss these options - which may include donating expressed milk, wet-nursing or cross-nursing - the Leader's role is to provide information about the benefits and risks, as mentioned above, including the limitations of home sterilization of expressed breastmilk. If the baby is hospitalized, the mother is directed to dialogue with the medical staff caring for her regarding hospital policies on providing human milk for a baby in their care. The mother will then make her own informed decision based on her situation and culture.
Media Release: LA LECHE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL OFFERS GUIDELINES ON HUMAN MILK SHARING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Lofton, 847-519-7730, Ext. 271, PRManager at llli.org;
Mary Hurt, Ext. 286, PRAssociate at llli.org; Katy Lebbing, Ext. 245, KLebbing at llli.org
(Schaumburg, IL) January 2005—Recently there have been reports of mothers sharing or even buying and selling human milk informally over the Internet or among friends.
If a mother is seeking donated milk the first question to consider is whether or not she can supply her own milk. Some mothers need to know that they will be able to breastfeed their babies in less than ideal or special circumstances. For example, many mothers have been able to provide their own milk for their premature or ill babies. Many mothers also continue to breastfeed after returning to work and, in most cases, provide sufficient milk.
In other cases, because of lack of knowledge or a poor start, a mother may be in a situation where her body is not producing enough milk. Increasing frequency of nursing, making sure the baby is latched on correctly, and offering both breasts at each feeding are some of the proven techniques that help most nursing mothers increase their supply.
In rare circumstances when a mother’s own milk is not available a human milk bank provides the best alternative with pasteurized, screened donor milk. In the absence of the infant’s own mother’s milk, donor milk offers many of the same benefits of human milk for the infant, including: optimal nutrition, easy digestibility, and immunologic protection against many organisms and diseases.
Health care providers and researchers have expressed concern that the casual exchange of human milk could be a potential route of transmission for drugs and viruses. CEO, National Commission on Donor Milk Banking and PhD candidate Lois Arnold, MPH, IBCLC states: “Because some individuals may have a viral or bacterial infection but remain asymptomatic (without symptoms) they may never know they are infecting another party. For this reason, ‘knowing someone well’ would be inadequate protection against disease transmission because the carrier is unaware she is infected.”
Human milk is available from human milk banks upon physician prescription or by hospital purchase order. There is a processing fee charged to cover the expense of collecting, pasteurizing and dispensing the milk. Some insurance companies recognize that feeding human milk results in both short and long term health costs savings and offer coverage for the purchase of human milk from a human milk bank.
A mother who is unable to use a human milk bank is encouraged to use the services of a doctor who is knowledgeable about managing human milk donations. The doctor will order the necessary testing for the donor mother, and make sure that the mothers involved in the donation are given the correct management information about human milk expression, storage and transportation.
La Leche League International, a nonprofit organization that has been in existence for almost fifty years, is the world’s largest resource for breastfeeding and related information. For information on increasing milk supply, contact information on human milk banks, or any breastfeeding question, visit the La Leche League International Web site at www.lalecheleague.org or call 1-847-519-7730.
