Martha,  Actually I don't have more information on whether the hepatitis c
issue is being revisited.  But, if it is being revisited, I would believe it
is because there is a commercial interest in selling certain products.  Those
products are based on research on human milk components.  There are around
10-15 patents on these components for use in drugs and vaccines to cure hep
c.  The most recent patent is # 6281191 called, "Composition and method for
treating hepatitis-c."  The substance used to treat hep c is called GMDP.
Now what is GMDP?  Let me quote from the patent itself:

"GMDP has been identified in human breast milk. it also has been suggested
that GMDP enters the human body after the degradation of the probiotic part
of the microflora and serves as a mediator of their systemic effect which
could be clinically important. (Slesarev V., et al., PCT #97/05889). For
example newborns fed with human milk are rarely infected by viral hepatitis.
How and why the human milk prevents the viral hepatitis remains unknown."

Of course they aren't going to use breast milk to cure hep c.  They will just
genetically engineer the component and sell it back to all the babies that
are taken off the breast.  Exactly what the drug and infant formula industry
did with hiv and breastfeeding.  Of course it maybe a little harder to
convince everyone that MTCT occurrs with breastfeeding and hep c.  But I
think the drug and formula industry are pretty darn good at stacking the
research in favor of their position.  So give them a few years and they'll
have everyone convinced of the dangers of MCTC of hep c if a mother
breastfeeds.

Of course the real sad thing is that this industry has tight control of the
media.  That control means that most people, including many breastfeeding
advocates, believe in what I call "fair-weather" breastfeeding.  Fair-weather
breastfeeding is when mothers are only "allowed" to breastfeed when they are
in perfect health and their babies are full-term and in perfect health.  Of
course, perfect conditions are rare... particularly when you have to test
everyone to see if they are in perfect condition.

So I guess I wouldn't be surprised, if someone wants to revisit the issues of
hep c and breastfeeding.  But maybe we all should know who those someone's
are and whether they have some patents or commercial interests in products
that compete with breastfeeding.  And don't assume that a university or
government agency has only benign interests.  They also have alot of patents
on human milk components. Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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