Kindly advise on the issue of milk feed for my twin daughters (born as premature). We will start with mother’s milk but it will not be enough to support them in the coming days and doctors are telling they cannot be fed with formula milk at this stage.
Kindly advise if we can feed them from the Milk Bank from the hospital if really required? I understand that we cannot trace donors. What is the guidance from deen on this? Please advise. Thank you.
Bismillahi Ta’ala
Walaikum Assalam Warahmatullah
While formula milk is generally acceptable for regular infants, we always encourage that natural breast milk is most suitable for the babies. In some cases due to infant health specification, pediatricians may recommend breast milk only. This is most probably the your case due to premature births.
When it comes to Milk-Banks, the issue has been discussed in past two decades at length. The upshot of these researches has been that ahkaam (rulings) of fosterage will apply equally to the milk procured from milk-bank as well.
For this reason, it is vital to know whose milk is being fed to the baby. In contemporary milk-banks, this poses two types of concerns:
- The milk banks may store the milk in pools of different milk, thus making it impossible to ascertain who the donating mother(s) are.
- Even if the milk-bank retains the milk separately, then too, they do not provide the names or information of the donating mother.
In order for permissibility of utilizing milk-bank for your children you would need to request the milk bank to provide you details of the donating mother, so you may know for future purpose that the donating mother is your baby’s foster mother. While normally they do not offer this information maintaining confidentiality, but you may find out ways of requesting them to get consent from the donor due to your medical condition within your family.
Alternatively, you could seek assistance from Muslim community for some mother who can foster your babies. You will need to maintain full information of every mother and make foster relationships for your children.
- It is even permissible to pay foster mother (the wet nurse) for her assistance as well.
- They may extract the milk and freeze it and provide you regular supply. (Unpasteurized breast milk can be frozen for up to 3-4 months).
- Make sure to get assistance from your pediatrician on how to find suitable donors directly.
I make du’a that you are able to secure suitable way to take care of your family.
Wallahu A’lam
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Faisal al-Mahmudi