There are 3 main problems with identity disclosure in milk banks.

1- the milk is generally pooled so it's not a direct donor to recipient
donation. Each disclosure would then involve several recipients and donors.
This may be different in milk banks with very low volume or very few
donors. Otherwise, the obvious solution would be to stop pooling milk, but
that would be for a different discussion.

2-In most donations, there is some reciprocity to any identity disclosure
(excluding "open id" programs for gamete donations). It would not be
ethical to reveal the identity of a consenting donor if the recipient
family did not wish to be identified. It would be very interesting to
research the attitudes of recipients towards disclosure. I suspect they
would not be nearly as enthusiastic as the donors. We have to keep in mind
that milk bank milk is very much used under the "medication" paradigm and
that those who use it for their infants may not have any prior experience
with milksharing as a concept. Until society has caught up with us, it may
actually be more effective not to offer disclosure to most recipients.
Again, this is speculative, research in the field would be fascinating.

3- Without disclosure, obtaining milk bank milk is a commercial
transaction. The usefulness of milk bank vs. direct donation is how simple
and non-emotional it can be, especially for parents of newborn premature
babies who may have limited emotional energy to spend on thanking donors
and processing the meaning of donated milk. They may also not be equipped
to set adequate boundaries in these new relationships.

Therefore, I think that disclosure should not happen until after the need
for milk bank milk is over, the request should originate from the
recipients, or, alternatively, could happen through milk bank based
activities (a yearly picnic or something like that, especially in the case
of pooled milk). A newsletter with the stories of babies who used milk may
also be a great way to satisfy donors without actually disclosing anyone's
identity and online profiles of donors, including their motivation and
breastfeeding history may be interesting to recipients.

I hate to think negatively of milk banks, but I do also wonder if there
might be some resistance from them to any disclosure out if fear that some
people may cut the middle man.

Sandra Wesley
BA Sociology
Egg donation coordinator
HM4HB administrator

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