Group uses Facebook to share breast milk

An Alberta Facebook group that helps mothers exchange breast milk is seeing huge demand despite a recent safety warning from Ottawa.

Eats on Feets, which has branchesin several provinces,matches mothers who need breast milk with mothers whocandonate it.

TheAlberta chapter has only been operating for three weeks, but it has already matched eight pairs of moms, said spokeswoman Andrea Salcedo.

"It's usually a very personal connection that's made," she said.

But last weekHealth Canada issued a warning that sharing breast milk is unsafe, putting babies at risk of getting HIV or hepatitis B and C, or bacterial infections like staph, or food poisoning.

"In our society I would consider it an unnecessary risk to have the milk of another mother that has not had the donor screened and the milk pasteurized for safety," said Dr. Evelyn Jain, who specializes in breastfeeding.

"There are at least six serious viruses that can be passed in breast milk," she said.

Salcedo said she is disappointed by Ottawa's stance. Her group encourages women to ask for blood screening and to let other moms know if they are taking prescription drugs or even Tylenol, she said.

Jain says the whole debate highlights the need for breast milk banks in Alberta that would pasteurize the milk to ensure it's safe.

The only such facility in the country is in Vancouver.