China's new trend: adults drinking breast milk

Got milk?

Delicacies popular among the wealthy in China, such as bird’s nest and abalone, are now facing stiff competition from a new but unexpected competitor, namely breast milk. Selling of breast milk for rich Chinese people at high prices is currently making headlines all over the world.

The breast milk is being sold to wealthy adults and these wealthy clients even have the option to drink the breast milk through direct breastfeeding or through a breast pump. It has also been reported that wet nurses who are attractive are able to earn even more money from selling their breast milk.

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How did it start?

A logical question to ask yourself upon reading the shocking revelation above is how did the idea of breast milk for rich Chinese people start and why are China’s rich and wealthy even willing to fork out an exuberant amount of money to purchase human breast milk?

Apparently, it all stems from a belief that human breast milk is especially nutritious and digestible and suitable for those who are sick. Although it is unclear whether this belief is indeed true, the thought of providing breast milk for rich Chinese people has apparently already provoked an outrage among the online community in China due to the questionable ethics of providing such a service.

Online community has different views

A survey conducted online found that 90 % of people felt that the service of providing breast milk for rich Chinese people is unethical and voted against it. The majority of postings on Sina Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, also condemned the practice.

This new trend is making rounds in the media!

Ethical issues

It is certainly easy to see why there has been such a strong opposition against the new trend. Firstly, turning breast milk into a commodity raises moral issues as breast milk is meant to help nurture a woman’s baby and not be used as a means of making money. Secondly, the practice is insulting to women as they are treated as a business asset.Thirdly, there might be a safety risk involved if the breast milk provided is not healthy. Finally, the thought of an adult breastfeeding from a wet nurse is pretty revolting as well.

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Benefits of breast milk

While the nutritional value of breast milk for adults is questionable, there is no doubt that breast milk provides a multitude of benefits for babies. Here are 5 of them:

1. It provides nutrients for a baby’s health, growth, immunity and development.
2. It helps the mother bond with the child.
3. It helps you save money as it is a cheaper alternative to buying formula milk.
4. According to the NRDC website, research shows that breast milk reduces the infant’s psychological behavioural and learning difficulties in later life.
5. Breast-fed children also grow up to become more secure and mature according to some studies.

What’s your take on this new trend of breast milk for rich Chinese? Tell us your opinion! We’d love to hear from you! For more on this story, watch this video:

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