I don't know if this woman is a speaker or not, but I'd love to have her at a
conference.  The info she has is incredible....here's a bit more.

Jan

> .  Lactoferrin is being used for various
> products, toothpaste is just one of the products that has lactoferrin in
> it.
>
>
> I am not promoting using this toothpaste for breastfed children.  My
> comment
> was directed at the "irony" of denying our breastfed children the breast
> (essentially doubting breastfeedings protective benefits) while using a
> product that has the same component as breastmilk (lactoferrin).
>
> By the way this lactoferrin is human lactoferrin and therefore
> biotechnologists will say that it should not present any allergic problems.
> There are 3 ways to make human lactoferrin:  the human breast, transgenics,
> and cell/yeast culture.  This particular human lactoferrin is made from
> transgenic cows (the human gene for lactoferrin is spliced into a cow
> embryo
> and when that cow reaches adulthood human lactoferrin is extracted from its
> milk).  Cow's make little or no lactoferrin (Lonnerdal).  The mammary gland
> is considered a bioreactor and will make various proteins that will be used
> as drugs, supplements, etc.  Transgenic herds exist--read the NY Times
> (July
> 2002) and the op-ed article by Nicholas Kristoff--"Interview with a
> Humanoid."  He went to Infigen and drank cloned milk and "he didn't grow 3
> heads."  This technology exists and is commercialized.  A Washington Post
> article states that cloned milk can be on the grocery shelves as early as
> next year.  Milk lactoferrin has already gotten FDA approval.  The FDA
> rejected the word bovine lactoferrin during the GRAS process and replaced
> it
> with the word, milk lactoferrin.  I suspect because cows don't make enough
> lactoferrin naturally to ever commercialize it.  Thus bovine lactoferrin is
> misleading.
>
> This should be a wake-up call for breastfeeding advocates.  The promotion
> of
> products that are based on what human milk components can do ultimately and
> sadly means that breastfeeding (the competition) will be increasingly be
> made
> questionable in the media.  The use of imitation human milk components in
> drugs, supplements, toothpastes :), means that not only is our competion
> the
> infant formula industry but also the drug, supplement, and toothpaste
> industry.
>
> The toothpaste is just one small example.  The spreading of doubt about
> breastfeeding enhances the lactoferrin industry.  The lactoferrin industry
> sells its products to hiv/aids patients saying that lactoferrin protects
> and
> treat this problem.  Yet hiv postitive mothers are told that it is too
> dangerous to breastfeed.  Likewise, we hear that breastfeeding does not
> protect against dental caries/gum disease.  But we have a toothpaste that
> protects against dental caries/gum disease made with lactoferrin.  Which is
> the truth?  If lactoferrin is that protective, then maybe we need to
> revisit
> some of these health issues where mothers are discouraged from
> breastfeeding.
> Someone is making a whole heck of alot of money based on what human milk
> can
> do health-wise and in the meantime women are met with an on-slaught of
> reasons to not breastfeed.  This should be extremely troubling to the
> breastfeeding community.   Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC
>
>
>


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