Is there too much pressure on new moms to give their babies breast milk?

Photo by Summer via Flickr

Expecting and new mothers hear a steady refrain from medical professionals and child-rearing experts of "breast is best" when it comes to feeding their newborns. Some of those that can't or have trouble providing breast milk are turning to online marketplaces.

A cottage industry has sprung up facilitating the sale and donation of human breast milk on the Internet, but a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics confirms the concerns of health professionals over this unregulated marketplace.

The report found that breast milk bought from two popular Web sites was often contaminated with high levels of bacteria, including, in a few instances, salmonella. The amounts detected in some samples were sufficient to sicken a child. (New York Times)

Today's Question: Is there too much pressure on new moms to give their babies breast milk?

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