I have in the past and I continue to take very serious the idea and the
fact that human milk components are being patented. In fact, I find
this to be disgusting. When the suggestion was made that DONOR human
milk banks are giving their milk to research for this type of activity,
I was truly shocked and stated that I would contact the milk banks
myself. I actually did. I went straight to the current president of
HMBANA board and asked her if HMBANA could issue a statement on this
matter. She said she thought it genuinely important to clarify this
issue and that she would bring it to the board and get back to me. I
haven't heard from them further YET, but I know I will. In fact, I was
sitting down at my computer today to post just that, and then I started
reading this thread.
However, the suggestion that there be a global boycott on donor human
milk banks I find even more revolting than the patenting itself; it
actually make me feel sick to my stomach. From my perspective, as a
parent with a baby receiving donor milk, a boycott of donor human milk
banks would mean my baby would be DEAD. DEAD.
As it was, before the milk, we were in the hospital at least once a
month for a week at a time. Before the milk, we were fighting
antibiotic resistant kidney infections. Before the milk, my baby was
slowly but surely being dehydrated to death.
And to all the history questions: This is a homebirthed second baby.
This is the brother to a homebirthed first baby. (First baby
self-weaned with zero encouragement from me at three years old.) This
was a full-term baby. This is a baby to a stay-at-home-mother. This
is a baby whose father and grandparents are PROUD he is breastfed.
This is a baby born to a student midwife, student LC, LLLL applicant.
This is a baby born to college-educated people. This is a baby of
people who know people, who know what to ask, who had help, money,
resources.
And YET, and YET, the baby was born with a congenital anomaly requiring
(and will require) multiple surgeries who developed a worsening oral
aversion and has a kidney concentration defect as a result of the
anomaly made it IMPOSSIBLE to tell that he wasn't getting enough milk
for him. This is a baby that by the time we realized what was
happening, his mother's supply is only semi-salvageable, and now with
the oral aversion, a real challenge to keep up. We even tried formula
after formula (especially after they kept him in the hospital for 3
days and wouldn't let him leave without calling CPS if I didn't try
it.) And despite the fact that he gained weight on formula, he
dehydrated. Dehydration meant more infection. More infection meant
more IV antibiotics. He has no veins left. He can't have PICC lines
anymore. He needs to be bigger for surgery, yet he can't have surgery
because he wasn't getting bigger. This is a baby who NEEDS donor human
milk.
So to me, when I hear the suggestion of a global boycott of donor human
milk banks, I feel like I'm going crazy. This suggestion carried to
it's logical conclusion means that the primary source of milk for my
baby would dry up. And if that milk dries up, then what do I do for my
baby? What then? Watch him die a slow and terrible death? Would that
be better than more patents? More dead babies? Not to me. And I'm
willing to bet not to many others too.
When the cause becomes more important than the people, what then? What
kind of world do we have then?
I don't think it would be the better world we are all working toward.
Katie Bredbeck
mama and breastfeeding advocate
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