Marian,
Yes, we all must deal with reality and that is that most of us have no or
limited access to human milk banks. Thus infant formula is often our only
resort when we have a mother with a low milk supply. Does that mean that we
should accept this as the only reality for the future?
Currently there are parents who choose not to breastfeed. What kind of
education are parents getting? Do parents need to hear about the benefits of
breastfeeding? The formula companies have already told them that
breastfeeding is best. They know breastfeeding is best. What they need is
the facts. Parents need to know that infant formula will increase their
infant's risk of a wide variety of infections and increase their infant's
risk of hospitalization due to those infections. Should we accept the
reality of parents not choosing to breastfeed as set in stone? Or is this a
result of a society that is heavily influenced by the infant formula
industry?
Do we truly know the rarity of infant formula mistakes? For instance the
recent deaths of preterm infants from powdered infant formula. One premie
death in the USA that we know about and two in Belgium and one full-term
infant neurologically impaired due to contamination of powdered formula by
enterobacter sakazaki. This contamination has been an ongoing problem with
powdered formula since the late 80's. This food poisoning causes meningitis
and NEC. How many infant deaths are recorded as NEC or meningitis when in
actuality it was death by infant formula or to be more polite food poisoning?
That it took a year before an official recall was broadcast to the public,
seems rather unbelievable. Yet, everyone accepts this. Shouldn't parents
know this reality, this risk? Or should we continue to keep this a hidden
part of reality so as to not make parents feel guilty?
I agree with you that funding does not necessarily equate to tainted
research. And, I do want to say that I was not implying in any way that Dr.
Schanler or Dr. Lucas were "intellectually dishonest." What I am implying is
bias. How research is funded is an important consideration in whether to
accept or reject the validity of research results.
The improvement of infant formula is in whose best interest? The Healthy
People 200 project funding went to improving infant formula not to
breastfeeding education to improve breastfeeding rates!! The improvement of
infant formula is based on the assumption that we can as humans, imitate
nature and improve upon it. It is a position that the government and
biotechnologists take in regard to infant feeding. Thus, I believe it
equates to a distrust of nature and a believe that "man" can improve upon
nature. This is what the Greeks call "hubris" and it always involves the
making of a tragedy. Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC
PS: I only have about 600+ more patents to show you'all, but have to start
somewhere. Yes this is a great patent. We won't let hiv positive mothers
breastfeed their infants but we can give them meds made from a component of
human milk--HMFG.
PATENT # 5505955 "Anti-diarrheic product & method of treating
rotavirus-associated
infection," Peterson et al. [inventor] Assignee: Senomed, Inc., Cancer
Research Fund of Contra Costa, The John Hopkins University School of Medicine
"An anti-diarrheic product comprises a foodstuff and an anti-rotaviral agent
such as human defatted fat globule membranes, the human milk macromolecular
fraction, the milk mucin complex, the 46 Kd apparent MW glycoprotein, a
polypeptide having the rotavirus-binding specificity of the 46 Kd apparent MW
HMFG glycoprotein, mixtures thereof, or mixtures thereof, and optionally skim
milk, curd, and/or whey. They product of the invention is provided also as an
anti-diarrheal kit, with instructions for its use. The product of the
invention has therapeutic and prophylactic application for inhibiting the
onset of, or countering, rotavirus infection and/or diarrhea, in a subject,
such as for example, infants and children (infantile gasteroenteritis),
travellers, and immunodeficient persons, including HIV positive and
transplant patients."
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