Hi all, Finally I can summerize Dr. Harlan Wright, MD's lecture at the Milk Bank Conf I was at last March. Some netters have asked about breastmilk and adult uses. Dr. Harlan spoke on "Mothers' Milk for IgA Deficiencey in Liver Transplantation". Approximately 40,000 liver transplants are needed each year. Organ shortages reduce the number of actual transplants to about 4,000 per year. Survival in normal liver transplant patients is only about 85%, with 5% of the deaths occurring in the first 4 months post-transplant. However, if IgA dificiency is present in a transplant patient, the mortality rate is 42% with most of the mortality caused by sepsis from enteric organisms. With so few livers available this becomes a waste of organs. The only good sources of IgA is in human milk. IgA levels in colostrum can be as high as 7 gms/dl with levles decreasing as milk production increases. IgA can be absorbed through the gut. Two patients who received an empirically chosen dose of 300 cc of donor milk for 10 days after surgery were identified as initially having serum levels of IgA less than 7mg/dl. Levels rose to 10mg/dl in one patient and 30 mg/dl in the other. One patient died 7 monts after surgery from massive sepsis. The second developed pneumonia after three months and is being treated with donor milk on an ongoing basis, 4 ozs, three times/day. He has remained infection-free for over a year. Dr. Wright feels that all transplant patients should have IgA levels drawn prior to surgery. The cost for treating one case of sepsis in the ICU is more costly than 4 years worth of human milk used as a preventive measure. One cirrhotic's chronic care costs $300-400,00 while a transplant costs about $150-200.00. Insurers will cover cost of transplant because it is so much cheaper. The justification for donor milk therapy is that it reduces costs significantly. Small bowel transplants are going to be the next big issue for donor milk therapy due to high infection risk. All is so very interesting. We all know how valuable human milk is for infants, but now the discovery of all the other potential uses opens all new doors. Have a good memorial weekend everyone. Pat Bull, RN, IBCLC The Breastfeeding Connection/Medela Naperville, IL