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Black market of breast milk booming Down Under | A black market in breast milk is booming as parents Down Under are desperate to feed their babies the natural
elixir. They are being charged up to 1000 dollars a litre on the Internet. Breast
milk provides antibodies that protect babies against diseases and is especially
important for premature babies. One of the mothers contacted the Gold Coast based
Mother's Milk Bank to ask what the real "going rate" was for breast milk after
online sellers sought an exorbitant amount when she placed a web advert seeking
human milk. Mother's Milk Bank director Marea Ryan told her that the not-for-profit
bank sold milk for 50 dollars for 1.2 litres. "I think it is increasing more and
more as people become a lot more aware of the benefits of breastfeeding," the
Courier Mail quoted Ryan as saying. RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology)
lactation expert Dr Jennifer James said she was aware of the growing unregulated
black market. "It is very dangerous because in an unregulated fashion there are
no checks and balances, the milk would not have been tested for viruses and bacteria,"
said James. "Women are being put in this insidious position because of a lack
of breast milk banks nationally. "They have no option but to look outside the
system," she added. Black marketing of breast milk has increased with the advent
of the Internet where women advertise. James said there should be breast milk
banks in all major hospitals but blamed inconsistent legislation for making them
difficult to set up. |
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