Rachel.
Thank you for the information on Hanson's recent book.  I think the
publishing company has an interesting name--Pharmasoft.  PharmaSoft AB of Sweden is a
"global company focused on improving the overall productivity of the
pharmaceutical marketplace by developing information systems built on in-depth
understanding of pharmacology and a high degree of technical competence."  After
looking at the 1000 + patents on human milk components that are assigned to (owned
by) some pharmaceutical companies, I wonder whether there is a connection
between Pharmasoft Publishing of Amarillo, Texas and PharmaSoft AB of Sweden.
Pharmasoft Publishing sponsors a breastfeeding conference.  The pharmaceutical
industry is definitely interested in mammary gland biology.  Afterall the mammary
gland is a natural bioreactor that makes proteins that inactivate bacteria,
viruses, fungi, and parasites.

I am amused by Hanson's comments on human lactoferrin.  He seems to lack
awareness of the lactoferrin industry.  I find that surprising and interesting.

His editorship of books on human milk for Nestle in the past does not negate
his expertise nor his public support of breastfeeding.  But I do think that
who pays us is an important issue.  What we say and most importantly what we
don't say has alot to do with who helps us make a living.  When we divide the
world into the good guys being the breastfeeding advocates and the bad guys being
the infant formula industry, then we have truly missed what reality is all
about.  Life, human beings, cannot so easily be divided.  Thus we can and do
have human milk researchers who are paid by the infant formula industry.  Are
they supportive of breastfeeding?  Yes.  Supporting and defending breastfeeding
does not negate the possibility that someone accepts funding from the infant
formula industry.  It is problematic for those of us who are IBCLCs because of
our code of ethics.  But for human milk researchers, funding is crucial for
continuation of research.  Thus it is imperative that we know how our researchers
are funded and that we understand how funding might effect our knowledge of
breastfeeding.
Valerie W. McClain, breastfeeding advocate

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