TABLE 2.
Characteristics of Sellers Who Provided Milk for the Current Study Compared With a Representative Group of Sellers Advertising Milk on the Internet
| Current Study (n = 102) a | Representative Group of Sellers (n = 99) | |
|---|---|---|
| Made claims about quality of the milk, b n (%) | 27 (26) | 37 (37) |
| Price per ounce requested, mean (SD), $ | 1.61 (0.56) | 1.64 (0.56) |
| Reason for providing milk, c n (%) | ||
| Accumulated extra milk | 44 (43) | 55 (56) |
| Mother has excessive milk supply | 36 (35) | 41 (41) |
| To make money | 3 (3) | 8 (8) |
| Own child cannot tolerate it/has feeding difficulty | 1 (1) | 1 (1) |
| Own child no longer drinking it | 0 | 3 (3) |
| To help someone else | 2 (2) | 0 (0) |
| Other | 1 (1) | 3 (3) |
| Not mentioned | 17 (17) | 11 (11) |
| Health behaviors mentioned, c n (%) | ||
| Hygiene and handling practices d | 26 (25) | 25 (25) |
| Infectious disease status e | 22 (22) | 15 (15) |
| Substance and pharmaceutical use f | 72 (71) | 72 (73) |
| Dietary or exercise habits g | 63 (62) | 68 (69) |
| Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of advertisement, n (%) | ||
| 0–3.0 | 4 (4) | 6 (6) |
| 3.1–6.0 | 45 (44) | 53 (54) |
| 6.1–9.0 | 43 (42) | 35 (35) |
| >9.0 | 9 (9) | 5 (5) |
| Amount of breast milk available as mentioned in advertisement, c n (%) | ||
| ≤50 ounces or “small” amount | 0 (0) | 4 (4) |
| 51–200 ounces or “extra” | 16 (16) | 15 (15) |
| 201–350 ounces or “abundance,” “lots,” or “bulk” | 21 (21) | 37 (37) |
| >350 ounces or “freezer(s) full” | 29 (28) | 21 (21) |
| Ongoing supply | 0 (0) | 11 (11) |
| Not mentioned | 35 (34) | 22 (22) |
One sample was missing all advertisement data and is not reflected in the table.
States milk is “healthy,” “creamy,” “rich,” “organic,” “wholesome,” “pure,” or “high quality.”
Sums to >100% because multiple responses could be selected.
Pump sterilized or cleaned, milk frozen immediately, containers cleaned, or other hygiene or milk handling practice mentioned.
Offers to provide screening test results or medical records, milk bank donor certified, offers to provide letter of recommendation from health care provider, states has been screened for infectious disease(s).
Limited or no alcohol; nonsmoking; states “drug free,” no illicit drugs, or no pharmaceuticals or only over-the-counter medications.
Takes vitamins or omega-3 supplements; states “healthy diet” or “well-balanced diet”; no or limited dairy; organic; eats fruits, vegetables, or whole grains; drinks lots of water or only water; no red meat, pork, or fatty meat; limited gassy or spicy foods; vegetarian or vegan; soy-free; regular exercise; or other dietary habits mentioned.