My thought is that we, as professionals, need to continue to focus our
skilled help on mothers of preemies, helping them to give their babies their
own milk.  I believe there is a risk of "formulizing" breastmilk, making it
seem that processed human milk is better for babies than their mother's own
milk, safer, somehow.... And this may not, in a general and overall sense,
in the best interest of most babies, mothers, or affordable health care. I
think that physicians' already have the idea that anything measurable is
somehow safer than breastmilk at breast for the at-risk population.  At
$480/16 oz of processed human milk, this is an expensive option in a US
health care system where costs are skyrocketing. Sometimes, there are
situations where milk is not available, and I'd recommend any human milk
over formula, but for the general population...I prefer mothers' own milk,
and the process of direct breastfeeding for its immeasurable benefits, both
during the NICU hospitalization, and for afterwards, when mother and baby
are home and creating a relationship.

I am sure there is a place for banked human breastmilk, and I vote to stress
the support for breastfeeding and mothers' own milk for babies first and
foremost, especially in the NICU setting, as an affordable and superior
natural product, using other options when all other choices are exhausted.
My .02.

Kathleen Bruce

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