Increasing numbers of women who produce more breast milk than they need are handing it over — or selling it — for others to use. It’s a boon to fragile infants and mothers who can’t produce enough milk, but it also poses challenging ethical and public health questions.
Physicians, regulators and others ask: Should sickly, premature babies get access to this milk before healthy ones? Should women be paid for their milk — even if it might lead some to deprive their own infants? Should greater safeguards be required to ensure the safety of the supply?