Study Finds Germs in Purchased Breast Milk

Breast milk bought from milk sharing websites may be likely to contain bacteria, a new study suggests. Researchers tested 101 samples of breast milk bought from people who advertised on a U.S. milk sharing website. Nearly 3 out of 4 samples contained germs. These included several kinds that could make babies sick. About 1 in 5 contained cytomegalovirus. This usually causes a mild, flulike illness. However, in premature babies or those with compromised immune systems, the illness could be severe. Three samples contained salmonella, one cause of food poisoning. Researchers compared the purchased samples to samples of milk donated to a milk bank. Donors to milk banks are screened. Milk usually is pasteurized. However, the samples tested had not been pasteurized. Still, they had lower levels of bacteria than the samples bought from the milk-sharing site.