Now most of us know that smoking whilst pregnant is probably not a great idea, but who out there knows the ins and outs regarding buying your breast milk online?

The phenomenon is a pretty recent one and the reasons parents might do so are solid enough; some women unable to breastfeed regard it as a healthier alternative to formula and online breast milk is often cheaper than the kind you find at a regulated milk bank. Now a team of investigators decided to dig deeper into the market and made some disturbing findings, taken here from TIME:

There are no requirements to test sellers for diseases that may transmit by drinking breast milk, like HIV and hepatitis B and C, the piece says. In one 2013 study, a different group of researchers discovered that 21% of milk samples bought online tested positive for cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes virus that spreads through secretions and can have a long-term impact on the immune system.

Cue unfaithful spouses blaming their itchy crotches on testing their baby’s breast milk. That is not the only horrid finding, however, with TIME reporting:

…breast milk, like most other liquids for which people pay a premium, seems to be a magnet for fraud. Cow’s milk, water and even soy milk are sometimes added as adulterants to dilute breast milk and increase its volume…

I guess you don’t always get what you pay for. Despite these findings the online breast milk industry continues to grow, with a site called OnlyTheBreast.com boasting 27 000 members.

Make of that what you will parents, but maybe the old-fashioned way remains the best. Just remember not to upload any pictures to Facebook lest you upset some poor soul with nothing better to complain about.

[source:time]