Marsha,
You wrote that the use of human milk components in the pharmaceutical
industry is "wonderful validation."  Validation?  It would be wonderful validation if
it were public knowledge and mothers knew that their milk was so important.
Several institutions own patents on the real human milk component (John
Hopkins, Baylor College of Medicine).  Our own US Department of Health owns the
patent on human lactoferrin (real and gmo'd) to treat and inactivate hiv/aids. How
do institutions get to own and make money from that which is made by the
human body? How do they justify their inadequate policies on breastfeeding, while
making money from these components?  We are spraying most meat, chicken, and
fish with gmo'd human lactoferrin to safeguard against e.coli, et.  Where did
that research come from?  You guessed it--research on human milk--lactoferrin.
Yet on this list I still hear babies taken from the breast because a mom has
e.coli or some other bacteria/virus that human lactoferrin inactivates.

We have major hiv/aids researchers who have invested in companies that are
using human milk components for supplements to treat and inactivate hiv/aids.
Yet heaven forbid any hiv positive woman in the USA breastfeed.    Validation?
Patenting is about secrecy, about keeping the competition from knowing what
you are doing.  Its about owning, buying and selling.  Where oh where does
breastfeeding fit into that model of life?  We are losing whatever culture of
breastfeeding we had to these industries and institutions who have but one
priority--profits.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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