The only appropriate study would be a study that looked at infant health
outcomes of those infants fed pumped human milk versus infants exclusively
fed at the breast.  Those infants fed the pumped human milk would have to
only receive human milk (no formula, foods, water supplements).  The
determination of health policies needs to be based on infant health outcomes
not on bacteria/viral counts of contaminants in breast pumps.  The same thing
applies to other studies...such as hiv/aids, hepatitis, environmental
contaminants, etc.

One study I looked at showed cultures in 70% of healthy human subjects have
the strep organism in their throat.  Does this mean that antibiotic treatment
should be used for these healthy people?  No.  Likewise, if we culture all
kinds of germs in a pump motor, should we consider pumps dangerous?  No.  The
important consideration is the immune system of the person.  Human milk
creates a healthy immune system.  By only looking at germs and contaminants,
we are not looking at the whole picture.

Candida has been cultured and found to exist practically everywhere.  Why
aren't we all suffering from candida?  We should never touch books or
anything in our houses because those items carry candida.  I think that we
can carry this whole germ thing over the edge to insanity.

I recently read an interesting study that suggests that the more contaminated
(in regard to diseases and unsanitary conditions) the environment, the higher
level of human milk components that inactivate such germs (ie. lactoferrin).
Thus a woman in a developing country who lives in poverty has a higher level
of lactoferrin in her milk than the woman in a developed country who is well
off. Makes sense to me.  Let's stop looking at half the picture in regard to
contaminates in breast milk and breast pumps.  Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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