Australian mothers pay up to $1,000 for it on the Internet due to the country’s shortage of breast-milk banks, the Courier Mail reports. Legitimate banks in hospitals are difficult to set up, according to the Courier Mail, because inconsistent legislation in different Australian states classifies breast milk as either human tissue, bodily fluid, or food, each with its own guidelines. [%comments]
Black-Market Breast Milk
and 
. You can also watch it on 
the real absurdity would be if IV antibodies are cheaper than $1000!?
Breast milk, $1000.
Going to sleep at night knowing you are the best mommy on the whole planet and other mommies just don’t love their babies like you do, priceless.
Reality check, for a moment. Breast milk banks exist for circumstances where there is a dire need. The whole breast feeding versus formula debate is really a different topic. When babies are born prematurely or with other health problems, the availability of donated milk in breast milk banks can mean the difference between life and death. In such a circumstance, it is easy to see why some parents would be willing to pay up to $1000 per liter. I’m not a neonatologist or doctor of any sort, but a liter of breast milk ought to be able to feed a preemie for a long time, especially one that is also on an IV. Weeks, probably.
By the way, by comparison, Tylenol Infant Drops, cost approximately $265 per liter at your local drug store.
Since the HIV virus can be contracted through breast milk, I would think the risk/benefits ratio of paying $1000/liter for milk to be rather poor. Wouldn’t it be a lot safer to invest in high-quality formula?
Well, let’s read the story and see if there are any facts to be had.
The story states that unnamed people *asked* an unnamed mother for AU$1000/litre in response to an online ad. One online ad; one response. There was no mention that anyone actually paid that much, or that the sellers sold any for that much, or whether either the request or the offer were genuine. No participants were named, which makes the whole story stink to high heaven.
In other words, nothing happened that was worthy of reporting.
And the Brisbane Courier-Mail? Not one of the nation’s better papers.
We don’t need more milk banks: we need more wet nurses.
I live in Australia and have never heard of this so I’m inclined to agree with Phil H. But I try and ignore TV and print media in leiu of more reliable sources of information so that could be why.