Just wanted to share with everyone an article in the Florida Times Union
Tuesday, April 6th,  with the headlines "Demand at milk banks raises safety
concerns".  The article was from the Knight-Tribune News Service and of
course, exaggerated the risks.  It tells about the women who have quietly
shared their milk by wet-nursing or setting up their own milk kitchens for
centuries.  Now it said that the exchange of mother's milk is becoming a
well-orchestrated national grass-roots network. The information about the
value of breast milk was good and it has some claims from mothers who see
those who donate as angels.  The frustrating part is the hype about the
safety of donor milk.  It brought up a 1995 study by the Canadian Pediatric
Society warning against donor breast milk.  They made sure to point out that
the U.S. government doesn't regulate human milk banks.  They talk about the
Human Milk Banking Association's safety guidelines that its banks
voluntarily follow but stress that the FDA doesn't fully support those
guidelines ...uggh!  It does list the five recognized human milk banks in
the US and said that a growing number of hospitals are considering stocking
human milk in their pediatric units.  It also lists the requirements to
qualify for donor milk and how much the processing fee is.  I really got
steamed when I read the headlines.  I've really been trying to encourage my
moms to donate & I know that won't matter but it's SO frustrating!!
Kym Dunton, RN, BA, IBCLC    Amelia Island, Florida

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