Hi All,
I am concerned about this controversy because I believe that biochemical research on human lactation is vitally important to the cause of promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding.  

I am a longtime breastfeeding advocate, am an RN/IBCLC, work at a baby-friendly facility and dream of having a local milk bank. I am passionately pro-breastfeeding, I am also pro-research and have returned to school to pursue biochemical research that will further our understanding of the immunomodulatory effects of breastfeeding on humans.   

My concern is based on the unfortunate reality that in order to study something one must have resources, university and hospital based research efforts are often funded by a multitude of grants and awards as well as public and private money.  While an individual project may be untainted by private funds, the organization as a whole will almost never be.  Must we nix all research then in an attempt to avoid what we cannot control?  

As with many such problems in a capitalist society it is the ethics of the researchers that must be trusted.  What I hear is a well-placed mistrust of these ethics where private money is used to buy private rights to human milk donated in good faith to help needy infants.  It is therefore important that milk banks have well stated guidelines and that these are shared with potential donors.  

In my opinion these guidelines must include allowing use of otherwise unusable milk for research.  Let us rally to support ethical research and funding related to human milk rather than to eliminate all chance of unethical research.

Peace,

Janie Akerlund RN IBCLC
PeaceHealth Nurse-Midwifery Birth Center
Eugene, Oregon 
  
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