Breast Milk Donation in the Muslim Population: Why It Is Possible

Abstract

Some mothers have negative ideas about human milk donation, especially in the Muslim population, because of the «milk brother-sister» concept, whereas infants are often in need of human milk. A mother delivered a very low birth-weight infant of 500 g after 26 weeks of amenorrhea. She was able to collect 200 mL of milk per day by four days after birth, 500ml/day after seven, and then up to 1.5 L/day. At the end of the hospitalization, the milk bank asked her if she was willing to donate her milk. She first refused to offer her milk for donation because of the «brother milk» concept. After discussion, the milk-bank team managed to convince the mother to donate the 179 Liters of milk not used by her baby. The two issues that may arise for a Muslim are whether they allowed to donate their own milk and whether their infant can receive donated milk. These issues were addressed by: i) performing a literature review covering all points of view of the religion concerning human milk donation, ii) seeking the expertise of religious figures, and iii) examining biological and genetic issues. Thus, religious, cultural, biological, and epigenetic aspects all support milk donation by Muslim mothers to milk banks and allow children to receive donated milk. Milk banks should be created in Muslim countries to promote the health of pre-term infants.

The Impact of Human Milk on Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where Muslim populations are dominant. In addition, our results underline the relationship between feeding and development of NEC [ 69 ].…”

Islamic Beliefs About Milk Kinship and Donor Human Milk in the United States

“…Advocates cited HMBs as a noble aim under the third pillar of Islam, charity, and the provision of human milk to a preterm infant in need as a moral imperative. 10,15 In a pioneer study from 2012, Mohammed Ghaly, 10 Although the concept of milk kinship is well known, this most recent fatwa from 2004 may not be familiar to or universally accepted by Muslim families. 11,13 Fatwas provide Muslims with religious and bioethical guidelines.…”

“…Donor milk undergoes additional harsh storage processes such as freeze-thaw cycles, incubation in acidic solutions, or high temperatures of pasteurization, which degrade microRNA found in human milk. 15 Intact genetic material is not passed onto the recipient infant and so there is no mechanism responsible for an autosomal recessive disorder through breast milk. 12 By explaining these processes to reluctant parents, health care workers may alleviate concerns about the increased risk of genetic or consanguineous disease from an unknown donor.…”