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Pediatrics Group Cautions Against Raw Milk Consumption by Children, Pregnant Women
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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for the sale of raw milk to be banned in the United States, as it warned that women, children, and infants should only consume pasteurized milk and milk products.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for the sale of raw milk to be banned in the United States, as it warned that women, children, and infants should only consume pasteurized milk and milk products from cows, goats, and sheep.
In a policy statement published online December 16, 2013, in Pediatrics, the AAP noted that 82% of the milk- or milk product-associated foodborne illness outbreaks reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) between 1973 and 2009 were attributed to raw milk or cheese. Presently, 30 states legally allow the sale of raw milk.
The AAP said young children and pregnant women together with their fetuses are at the greatest risk for illness from consuming raw milk products. Several studies have shown the association between the consumption of unpasteurized milk or milk products and bacterial infection, whereas no studies have shown the health benefits of raw milk consumption.
