There are times when pediatric protocols butt up against specific religious belief systems. For instance, most Jehovah’s Witnesses will refuse blood transfusions because of their religious beliefs.
One belief that is less well-known is described in a Special Article released this week in Pediatrics – milk kinship for Muslim infants who receive donor milk (10.1542/peds.2020-0441).
The Qur’an mentions a physiologic bond between a mother and child that lasts for 30 months. Many Muslims interpret this bond to begin during pregnancy, sustained by intrauterine blood, and continuing until the child is 2 years of age via human milk. “Milk kinship” refers to the bond between the milk provider and the milk recipient. Not only is there a bond between the milk provider and the milk recipient, there is also a bond (similar to the bond between blood siblings) between the milk provider’s offspring and the milk recipient. They are “milk siblings,” and marriage between milk siblings is prohibited.
In the US and other Western, non-Muslim countries, human milk banks are often used to provide human milk to infants who cannot be breastfed by their own mothers. These milk banks often pool the milk from several donors, and the donors are often anonymous.
Thus, Muslim families who believe in milk kinship will have qualms about using or donating donor human milk. They will be concerned that their child might unknowingly marry a milk sibling.
While milk kinship is not a universal belief among all Muslims, it is a common belief – and thus, one that we should be aware of. Particularly if you work in a setting in which donor human milk is an option for infant feeding, I encourage you to view the video abstract and read the article to learn more about milk kinship, so that you can discuss infant feeding options with Muslim families in a knowledgeable, sensitive manner.
