Before making these assertions, can you please let us know your sources? Are you aware of the cost of specialty blood products - which are made from DONATED blood? Before we slam folks from trying to help NICU babies receive the specialized help they need WITHOUT using cows' milk based products, let's think about this. The company you are mentioning is not in the black that I know of. Processing fees must be paid for by third party payers and the cost of providing these specialty products needs to be weighed against the benefits derived in long-term health care savings, shorter NICU stays, etc. I am totally convinced that unless we start putting dollars to the equations, we will NEVER win the money battle! There are two ways to get better breastfeeding care - and they both involve dollars - support breastfeeding support by paying for the time of the personnel doing the support - OR - penalize those who don't support breastfeeding. IN general, carrots work better than sticks! If anyone knows of any research conducted that shows that babies who are exclusively breastfed have shorter NICU stays than those who are mixed fed or exclusively synthetic milk fed, I'd appreciate the referrals.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lee Galasso
Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 6:44 PM
Subject: Some ways of looking at AID
Pamela Morrison wrote: Or claiming you are saving HIV orphans with breastmilk, but really using most of the breast milk for research purposes.
Pamela - Thank you for the reminder that there is a corporation out there that is making a HUGE profit in the breastmilk industry. It obtains the milk from lactating women, without paying them a cent; then, it turns around and sells the milk to NICUs in the USA at the reported rate of $185 per ounce (as of 2 years ago). The NICUs never went to the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) with the same enthusiasm when they could have obtained the breastmilk at $3.50 per ounce (a partial processing fee). Makes you wonder why and who is ultimately paying for the milk. Now, there reportedly is a breastpump company that is getting into the breastmilk industry to use components of the milk to produce a milk fortifier; it is a for-profit venture and, once again, the lactating women are not being paid for the milk. The whole issue leaves a bad taste in my mouth; as usual, the companies are interested in the bottom line only - nothing altruistic in it.
Warm regards,
Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC
Westchester County in NYS, USA
"Children Are Born with the Right to Breastfeed"
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