This is in today's Melbourne newspaper:

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7255734%255E24331,00.html

           

           
     
"New evidence breast is best
By LINCOLN WRIGHT
14sep03

BREASTFEEDING mothers contribute more than $2 billion to the nation each year, research shows.

An economist wants mothers' milk to be included in the nation's growth figures. 
Dr Julie Smith, of the Australian National University in Canberra, has estimated mothers produce more than $2 billion a year in breast milk. 

"Human milk is a commodity like blood, sperm or human organs which can, in principle, be valued for national accounts purposes," she said. "Numerous milk banks operate around the world, buying and selling milk." 

At $2.2 billion -- or 33 million litres -- a year, breast milk represented 6 per cent of spending on consumption. 

Dr Smith said the value of breast milk should be included in estimates of national income. 

"This would signal to the wider community the public importance of breastfeeding and give human milk the same statistical treatment as other food commodities," she said. 

Formula milk and the cost of treating the associated illnesses were already counted. 

Dr Jenni James, a lactation consultant at Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital, said putting a dollar value on breast milk was one way of highlighting low rates of breastfeeding. 

"Women's breasts are used to sell cars and diamonds, but when it comes to doing what they're supposed to, women are supposed to hide them," she said. 

More than 80 per cent of new mothers breastfed their child, but the drop-off rate was rapid. 

"Breastfeeding is a learned art -- it's a skill," Dr James said. 

The ANU's Dr Smith said breast milk lowered the risk for a range of baby illnesses, and was crucial to the nation's health and economy. 

The capacity of Australian women to make milk would be as valuable as Telstra, she said. 

If Australian mothers abandoned formula milk and exclusively breastfed their children longer, as experts recommend, the value of breast milk would rise by $3.5 billion a year. 

Dr Smith called on the Government to increase breastfeeding rates, saying the benefits would be comparable to a range of micro-economic reforms. 

Pascoe Vale South mum Carole Smith gave birth to her second daughter, Mackenzie, two weeks ago. She said the figure was another way of measuring the many benefits of breast feeding. 

But Ms Smith said the market value of breast milk was not the most important factor. 

"The nutritional value and the long-term benefits for the baby are most important," she said."




Regards
Karen Clements 
RM IBCLC
Melbourne, Australia


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