Karleen is right about the "milk sibling" issues with Muslim donors and 
recipients.  We have heard this often, and sometimes a Muslim mother would 
ask us to make sure that her milk went only to a baby of the same sex as 
hers.  Since this would not be practical for us to ensure, we had to turn 
down those donors, even though we don't pool our milk as other milk banks 
do.

We have also been asked if the donor could meet the recipient baby's 
parents, but I don't believe we have managed to arrange that either - sheer 
logistics, not lack of will.

However recently one of our contacts passionately wanted to donate her 
plentiful milk to us, and she took the initiative of writing to the Muslim 
Judicial Council to ask for their help.

She received a lovely email back praising her selflessness, and directing 
her to a fatwa (ruling) that says in effect that the prohibition only comes 
about if the baby is breastfed directly from the donor mother's breast, but 
if the milk is extracted and fed in any other way, it does not apply.  She 
was given categorical permission to proceed with her donation of breast 
milk.

We are very happy to have notification of this fatwa to pass on to other 
Muslim would-be-donors in our area.  I have to say that I have not read the 
actual fatwa myself, merely the report from the representative of the MJC 
Fatwa Committee.  I also have the feeling that, as with many religions, 
there are branches that interpret religious law differently from others.  I 
have had some Muslim mothers come for help because the Koran "says I must 
wean my baby at 2 years, and how do I do that?" and others who say that the 
Koran actually says, "Do not stop breastfeeding before 2 years old" (ie, do 
what you like afterwards).  I very much like the latter interpretation, but 
we have to help the mother work within her own family beliefs.

So what is allowed in one country may not work for another country, but I 
presume each country has a council that could make a ruling.  Worth 
exploring if the situation warrants it.

Best wishes
Jacquie Nutt IBCLC
(just back from collecting 6 litres of milk from my latest lovely local 
donor)
Milk Matters, Cape Town, South Africa
www.milkmatters.org

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