Photo of mom breastfeeding friend's son sparks controversy

BALA CYNWYD (WPVI) -- A photo of a Bala Cynwyd woman breastfeeding not only her son, but her friend's son, has ignited a firestorm of controversy.

The photo shows Jessica Colletti breastfeeding her son and the son of her friend, Charlie Interrante.

Interrante says she wanted to breastfeed her son, but couldn't do it herself and couldn't pump at work. In addition, her son reacted badly to formula.

That's when Colletti stepped up to the plate.

"How did you make the decision to have Jessica nurse Mateo?" asked ABC's Rebecca Jarvis.

"I was at my wits end and when she offered, I was nothing but thankful for it," said Interrante.

"Had you ever nursed another person's child at that point?" asked Jarvis.

"No, it was very natural, it seemed very natural," said Colletti.

"Does it ever concern you that Mateo, when he gets older and looks at that picture, will feel strange?" Jarvis asked.

"I don't think so at all," said Interrante. "She treats him like a son and I think he'll grow up and always look at her like that and I'll always be open about the relationship they have."

Some people posted online comments applauding the moms, but others were condemning their decision. One comment read "I found this picture disturbing," and another reads "Nothing wrong with breastfeeding, but why not cover up? Besides these two children are old enough to eat solid foods."

Of course, the concept of using a wet nurse is not a new one. The World Health Organization lists milk from a healthy wet nurse or human milk bank as the best alternative to milk from an infant's own mother.

"Of course there's a risk with anything you do that's not the biological mom's breast milk, but if the woman has been screened, if she's healthy, if she is substance free, if her child is healthy as well, it shouldn't be a problem," said lactation consultant Kathleen McCue.

Both women have since moved under the same roof and Colletti still breastfeeds Interrante's son.