Milk Donation Dilemma - Part III

Bodily Fluids

This is part III in my discussion of problems faced by the milk donation community in response to the replies I received when posing a question about moms' opinions of the use of donated human milk. In this portion, I will discuss the repeated concern expressed (no pun intended, or maybe it was) regarding milk as a bodily fluid.

Many mamas on the mom networking site where I posed my inquiry that did not nurse their child(ren), responded that they were not interested in donated milk because they didn't want to be handling someone else's bodily fluid. In today's society, there is a concern about diseases passing via bodily fluids such as urine and blood. To a lesser extent, there seems to be a mild concern with saliva as well. And feces certainly can be a source of disease and contamination, though not typically a fluid. I apologize if this is taking a rather unsavory turn. In any case, it stands to reason that along with other body fluids that are known or suspected to be of concern, breastmilk would fall into that same category causing concern for many moms.

Here's the thing though. Breastmilk is not considered a bodily fluid. This may come as a surprise to many, but it's true. Here is a response taken from the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) website's Frequently Asked Questions regarding the handling of breastmilk:

Are special precautions needed for handling breast milk?

CDC does not list human breast milk as a body fluid for which most healthcare personnel should use special handling precautions. Occupational exposure to human breast milk has not been shown to lead to transmission of HIV or HBV infection. However, because human breast milk has been implicated in transmitting HIV from mother to infant, gloves may be worn as a precaution by health care workers who are frequently exposed to breast milk (e.g., persons working in human milk banks).

For additional information regarding Universal Precautions as they apply to breast milk in the transmission of HIV and Hepatitis B infections, visit the following resources:

• Perspectives in Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Update: Universal Precautions for Prevention of Transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis B Virus, and Other Bloodborne Pathogens in Health-Care Settings. MMWR June 24, 1988, 37(24):377–388.
• CDC. Recommendations for prevention of HIV transmission in health-care settings. MMWR1987, 36 (supplement no. 2S):1–18S.

The full list of FAQs can be found here (though they are not all concerning the handling of breastmilk).

So, what does this tell us? Well, healthcare and daycare workers don't need to worry about special handling of breastmilk. Gloves can be worn, but it is not necessary in most cases, when preparing and feeding breastmilk. The bottom line is that breastmilk does not fall into the same category as other bodily fluids as many may believe.

Despite the status of not being a bodily fluid, there still is the possibility of transmitting disease as discussed by the CDC's website. Because of this, many health professionals would recommend that if you do use donated human milk, it is best to obtain that milk via a milk bank where the donors are screened for transmissible diseases and the milk has been pasteurized. This is one way to ensure that disease is not passed along to a young infant. Many moms do take comfort, however, in using milk donated privately if they know the donor personally. In such cases, they are likely aware of any health concerns there may be in regards to the donor and their decision to use the milk. While it does pose risks not seen when milk is obtained via a milk bank, there is less uncertainty in regards to knowing exactly from whom the milk is coming. Either way, the milk certainly is not a bodily fluid.

Continue on to the next part of the Milk Donation Dilemma Series:
Part IV - Safety and Nutrient Content of Donated Milk

If you missed previous entries, they can be found here: 

Part I - The Importance of Breastmilk     

Part II - The Availability of Donated Milk