Mothers selling breast milk on Facebook: Report

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Women in Britain and US are selling their breast milk online, despite serious concerns that it could be harmful for babies, a media report said.

Mothers are using community forums, including Facebook, to make some quick cash out of their extra milk, the Daily Mail reported on Wednesday.

Buying breast milk is tempting to new parents struggling to express their own, as it provides babies with better protection against illnesses compared to formula.

Websites such as onlythebreast.co.uk appear to answer this need, saying: "Our discrete breastfeeding breast milk classified system makes it possible to sell or buy breast milk in a clean, private way."

A search around the site reveals women from Essex to Newcastle are offering it either fresh or frozen for around one pound per fluid ounce, while $2 per ounce in the US.

However, there are legitimate ways to both donate and receive breast milk for free via milk banks. These centres store breast milk for babies whose mothers can't breastfeed.

The banks collect expressed milk from pre-screened mothers who have a plentiful supply and a baby under six-months old, the newspaper said.

But on Wednesday, doctors warned new parents against privately obtaining their baby's food through social networks such as Facebook.