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Subject:
From:
Amy West <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:15:19 -0400
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Except that, when you go to donate blood, Jane, you understand where it's
going. No one is trying to trick you into donating blood so that they can
turn a profit on it.

Is profiting bad? Nope, I'm very pro-capitalism. It's the deceiving moms
that is problematic.

When someone donates blood at a community blood bank, the community blood
bank doesn't sell it for $2/ounce to a company that will use it as raw
material for a product.  The blood banks don't need a middle-man, because
they've got nothing to hide.

Some moms will be absolutely fine with this happening; after all, it IS
going to standardized breast milk and HMF. However, Prolacta is in direct
competition with and profiting from a product produced by nonprofit milk
banks. Good for business? Yep. Good for babies? No way. I think the HMF is a
far superior option to anything the formula companies are putting out.  If
Prolacta wanted to focus on that product and get out of being in competition
with HMBANA milk banks, I'd be all for it (with the caveat that they inform
moms in a straightforward manner).

So, in short: cut the middle man (because really, if Prolacta and their
affiliates were being honest, they wouldn't *need* the middle man donation
centers) and tell moms where their milk is going. Some moms will be fine
with that, some won't, but *at least they will know*.

Best,
Amy West


On Fri, Jun 24, 2011 at 10:14 AM, <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I want to play advocate here - not because I have any interest in prolacta
> or ross.  I work with a level 3 NICU where babies are cared for that are
> ventilator dependent, as young as 23 weeks with multiple needs.  Our NICU
> MD's would LOVE to be able to provide all human milk diet to these babies
> INCLUDING prolacta-style human-milk based fortifiers which these babies NEED
> as Dr. Wight will testify.  Just like babies occasionally need blood
> transfusions from donated blood, babies NEED human milk fortifiers from
> human milk donations.  There is a huge cost to blood transfusions that is
> paid by the patient or their insurer or if those default, by the hospital
> itself (and taxpayers and investors, etc.).  Do I get paid when I donate
> blood?  No.  I will make more.  Maybe blood banks should become milk depots.
>  There is expense involved for processing whole blood donations into various
> components such as platelets, packed cells, etc.  The
> patient/hospital/insurer/taxpayer pays extra for those products.  Again, the
> donor isn't paid except with thanks.  Do some people I don't think are very
> good people get some of my blood when I donate?  Yes.  Should I not donate?
> No.  You gotta be careful here.  I think we need community milk banks and
> mothers should be encouraged to donate AND we should have a prolacta
> available.  The cost of the product includes all the R&D, marketing,
> equipment, etc.  Milk banks charge for their product, but it is subsidized
> by donations of time and money and goods in kind.  If we put a true dollar
> value and included all the startup costs etc into the price of it, it would
> be more expensive.
> The bottom line is:  are mothers who donate to these banks (for profit)
> being swindled?  I think not.  This milk WILL be used to help a small
> preemie who may be saved from NEC and its sequalae.  And without profit
> motive, prolacta might not have money from venture capitalists that it took
> to build a processing center and acquire the technology to create a
> wonderful product.  I remember Maureen Minchin speaking many years ago about
> the importance of developing such a product and I'm glad someone did.  I
> hope they can survive the crunch on both sides of this discussion, because
> there's nothing else out there like it!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2011 1:05 PM
> Subject: Had to share
>
> For those of you who haven't gotten this on  Facebook:
>
> _
> http://justwestofcrunchy.com/2011/06/23/swindled-the-ugly-side-of-milk-dona
> tion/_
> (
> http://justwestofcrunchy.com/2011/06/23/swindled-the-ugly-side-of-milk-donation/
> )
>
> Someone has done her  homework....
>
> Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA
> _www.grammiesawards.blogspot.com_ (http://www.grammiesawards.blogspot.com/
> )
>
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