Really, it never ceases to amaze me how IRRATIONAL humans can be sometimes.  We have hospitals in Manhattan that distribute promotional samples of powdered formula even though at least one journal showed that 14% of samples contained E. Sak.  I'm sure there are hospitals and pediatricians giving out powdered formula in France too.  Why aren't the French health authorities issuing public health warnings about E Sak in powdered formula?  And the 20% higher death rates from formula in the United States with relatively decent water and sanitation.  They don't talk about the known threat, but they do scare parents about an unknown threat.  And that unknown threat can be diminished.

If we can make cow's milk sterile enough for human babies to ingest without immediately succumbing to disease from the milk itself -- which does NOT negate that the cow's milk will increase their risk of disease because it deprives them of antibodies and appropriately balanced nutrients -- it is not so hard to make human milk from another mother sterile.  My mother's generation knew how to pasteurize.  It is not rocket science.

Furthermore, if the French are so worried about regulating all of this instead of actually informing women how to share safely, then why don't they just ban sperm donors, egg donors, and surrogate moms.  All require similar screening tests.  Perhaps surrogate mothers are closest in that they are carrying the baby for a while.  And if you take it a step further, perhaps we should just ban kissing, hugging, sex and sharing the same air space with everyone else.  All of those can lead to disease transmission too.

Susan Burger

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