A Thai socialite has sparked criticism from doctors and experts after she started donating her own breast milk to other mothers.
Passavee “Numwan” Payacaboot’s milk-sharing campaign became popular online after it received media attention last week, Coconuts Media reports.
In an interview with local media last Thursday, Passavee revealed that she decided to help moms with lactation problems as she naturally produces a lot of milk.
It is reportedly normal for a new mother to produce up to about 900 milliliters (3.8 cups) of breast milk daily.
According to Passavee, she keeps her excess milk in sealed bags, filling 15 refrigerators with them.
“I understand what it’s like to be a mother without natural breast milk,” she was quoted as saying.
“There are so many possible problems … from the mother not being able to produce milk, or if the mother had undergone surgery and has medical complications … in some cases, the parents abandon their own children…I can’t see these problems and not help.”
Passavee’s milk bank, called Filoga Clinic, has since attracted a significant number of new mothers who need her milk.
The growing popularity of Passavee’s campaign has prompted several doctors to speak out against feeding a baby with someone else’s breast milk, with many citing its medical dangers.
Ministry of Public Health Secretary Dr. Pornpimol Wipulakorn is among those who are discouraging the practice of unregulated milk sharing.
In a statement, Pornpimol stressed that no matter how well-intended the donor may be, sharing unregulated milk with others poses many potential health risks. She noted how donated milk at any breast milk bank, should be tested, disinfected, closely supervised and pasteurized according to medical standards.
Chulalongkorn University Faculty of Medicine pediatric herpetology professor Yong Poovorawan echoed a similar sentiment via a Facebook post.
In his post, Yong explained that bio-materials such as blood and breast milk can transmit germs and diseases.
“Every donation must be screened every time, even if the donor has already been screened before,” he wrote.
In response to the growing criticism online, Passavee’s husband Navin “Ta” Yaowapholkul took to Instagram to explain their reason why they started the campaign and noted the safety precautions they followed to make it happen.
“We started this campaign with meticulous care and thought, but of course, nothing in life comes without risk … We work with an experienced doctor with great expertise in this field at Filoga Clinic,” Navin wrote.
“Unfortunately, our doctor doesn’t like to use Facebook,” he added.
According to the board of directors of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM), certain safety measures are necessary when taking part in breastmilk-sharing.
In a position statement, the group wrote in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine that a decision to do breastmilk-sharing should only be made with the guidance of a physician, Reuters reports.
“Donors should be asked about their medical history, medications, (and) social practices (i.e., drug/tobacco/alcohol use). Prenatal records of the donor mother should be reviewed. Any postnatal infectious screening tests should be reviewed,” lead author Dr. Natasha Sriraman was quoted as saying.
Featured Image via Instagram / navintar
