Is a breast milk sharing program in hospitals permissible under Islamic law?

Summary

The Perlis Fatwa Committee ruled that the milk sharing program proposed by the Malaysian Ministry of Health does not contradict Islamic law, taking into account the need to preserve the lives of infants, especially premature babies. Implementation requires the consent of both the donor mother and the infant's side, except in an emergency. If five full feedings from the same mother occur with clear records, both parties must be informed of each other to preserve mahram rulings. For those who follow the view that nursing must be directly from the breast, these two conditions are not required.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.