Following the links on the "International Breastmilk Project" website takes
you to something called 'www.milkbanking.net' where you can supposedly find
a milk bank near you.  You can search by state.  Oddly, the website informs
users that there is no milk bank in Texas, nor in Massachusetts, nor in
Colorado or Ohio - all states where as far as I know, there are active
HMBANA milk banks today.

Milkbanking.net seems to be part of the so-called 'National Milk Bank',
which is simply Prolacta's collection system.  One could get the impression
that they are connected to all milk banks in the US, but they seem not to
acknowledge the existence of the not-for-profit bank system, if indeed they
are aware of it, and I can't believe they are not.

In any case, this seems like a bizarre way to provide aid.  It is expensive,
requires a very sophisticated infrastructure, and the raw material is in
much more plentiful supply in the receiving country already so that the
number of babies helped will be nowhere near the numbers requiring it.  A
shipment of 6000 ounces was just sent, which is something in the
neighborhood of 180 litres, or a bit more than enough for one baby for six
months, certainly not enough for two.  What about the thousands of others
who need help, or that one baby after six months?  But it has great PR value
and the story is an attention grabber.  

I'm with Susan Burger - why not develop technology that would allow mothers
to test their own milk, or donor milk, for possible local trade or aid
projects?  Or why not have programs in place that would help mothers to
breastfeed exclusively?  

Meanwhile, I encourage anyone in contact with lactating women who wish to
donate milk, to contact the tried and true, not-for-profit HMBANA bank
nearest them.  Just my personal bias, for what it's worth.  I prefer the
idea of mothers helping other mothers and babies from the goodness of their
hearts, without any shareholders skimming the cream, so to speak.

Rachel Myr 
Kristiansand, Norway

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