Ann,
You wrote that "regarding body parts and fluids that we seem to not have a
legal leg to stand on once it has been taken from our body..."

No I didn't say that, one might think I was implying that but read the
following by Philip P. Bereano written in 1995 (I would highly recommend reading the
rest of the article):

http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9511/0014.html

"Moore sued, alleging at the very least he should receive a share of the
profits (potentially several billion dollars) on the grounds that-if one
wanted to view it in such a light-every individual has a property right in
their own body parts. In July of 1990 the California Supreme Court denied
the existence of such a right of control over our own bodies (although it
allowed John Moore to sue his doctors for a breech of fiduciary duty in
failing to inform him of the potential commercial value of his cells)."

BREECH of FIDUCIARY DUTY.....I am not a lawyer but the failure of researchers
to inform mothers of the potential commerical value of their milk (cells) is
rampant in the USA.  In fact the humorous thing is that even the breastfeeding
advocacy community had no knowledge of it (maybe some did?).  It would seem
that anytime a mother donates her milk she should be informed of the fact of
its commercial value (human lactoferrrin is worth $3500 per gram).  Since
researchers are even using milk that is to be thrown out and patenting it or a
genetically engineered version of it, I would think that one control is to fully
inform mothers of this possibility.  I think we need to institute legislation
and or lawsuits (just because California dismissed a case does not mean other
states would).  All that takes money, organization, and understanding of the
problem.  We aren't there.  We aren't even at the beginning stages.

Ann you wrote, "somehow convincing mothers and parents that breast milk is
best doesn't have a big punch."

Right, how could it when Nestle has the "very best?"  Breastfeeding is best
is always followed with a "but."  We are all tired of the "buts."  I am tired
of hearing, "I will try to breastfeed."  One never hears that about any other
body function, do we?  I will try to have sex. (imagine a young woman saying
that?)   I will try to menstruate.  I will try and sweat today.  Our mammary
glands function whether we want them to or not.  Trying has nothing to do with
it.  If a woman does not want to use her mammary glands, there are biological
ramifications for their disuse.

The risks of infant formula usuage has to be part of all educational programs
on infant feeding.  Everyone needs this information--not just parents.  In
fact, it is more critical that the medical community understand the risks,
because it is their policies and procedures that impact breastfeeding.  There is a
tradition of belief that infant formula is safe in developed nations.  But is
this belief grounded on evidence or based on the mega-funding of the infant
formula industry.  Nestle spents enormous funds on education for young people
and helping researchers get their degrees and laboratory experience.   It really
pays off because there is a  rock-hard belief that infant formula is
risk-free in the USA.  And if there is some risk, it is mitigated by an easily
accessible medical system.  The problem is that the medical system for people in
poverty in the USA is not so easily accessible.  And it is getting so off-balanced
that even people of middle income are finding ease of access to be difficult.
 Our health care system is in the process of melt-down.

Ann you wrote, "The public needs to know about algae, fish eyes, degrees of
contaminants in the industry and recalls."

Anything other than human milk for an infant initiates a degree of
risk-taking.  But what has happened is that the risk our baby food industry is willing
to take is now truly unknown.  If we in the USA took the precautionary
principle to heart, this kind of unknown risk would not be happening until enough
research had been done.  Instead we are using "novel" ingredients in infant
formula.  Novel means new, never before eaten, and it can also include genetically
engineered.  Since we live in a country that is unwilling to call a spade a
spade (freedom of speech, does it exist?), the debate has become diffused because
one cannot speak the reality without threats.  Sometimes I think we are
living in a Charles Dickens' Tale of Two Cities..."It was the best of times, it was
the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity. It was the season
of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was
the winter of despair,, we had everything before us, we had nothing before
us...."
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC






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