Mother's Milk

Mother’s milk is the natural blessing to the infants and fundamental source of nourishment since ancient time which is now becoming commodity and is among fast growing business across the globe. This is so because Researchers believes that the breast milk which is providing nutrition and protecting babies from infections, is upcoming with potential therapeutics for adults as well to treat intestinal and infectious diseases. Biotech firms want to use this therapeutic potential of breast milk by converting it into new types of medicines which can stand against intestinal problems and infections.

Up till recent times, this milk was available to child directly through mother but as nothing remains constant, this milk is available now through milk banks and over the internet through different milk sharing websites as well. The non profit milk banks were providing donor milk to hospitals for years but companies have entered in the picture for making profits, and due to which breast milk is becoming a commodity and donations are continuously dropping.

In India, human milk banking is in its infant stage and its biggest reason is lack of awareness with other reasons like infrastructure, leadership and budget problems. The growth of milk banks in India is very less as compared to neonatal intensive care units. The very first milk bank was “Sneha”, started in Dharavi Mumbai which was opened by Dr. Armeda Fernandez and now the number of milk banks has risen to 14 all over India. Recently a modern public sector milk bank was inaugurated in Kolkata on 7^th August 2013.

At the end of 19^th century, the strategy for humanizing cow’s milk was applied by the scientists by adding certain substance like barley water, lactic acid, lemon juice and sodium bicarbonate. Similarly in 21^st century, biotechnology is being used to create formulas to create breasts milk in labs. Now the breasts milk is commercialized and it is making many people uneasy and they are concerned about the capture of milk by the companies and its less availability to non profit milk banks. Many women are happy to donate their milk to the infants in need, while other believes that they should get compensation like sperms and egg donors. Unlike body organs, tissues and fluids, breasts milk is unregulated as it is considered to be a food, so it is legal to buy and sell everywhere in USA and many parts of the world whereas selling breasts milk is illegal in other part of the world.

Since the breasts milk is become commercialized and is selling and buying over the internet, there is a debate about whether the milk safe for infants or not. Doctors in Germany have warned against obtaining milk through internet as the donors might be taking drugs or medicines or might have any illness or diseases like HIV or Hepatitis. Also a recent study done over safety of human breasts milk over the internet found that 10 percent of sample contained added cow’s milk. Also experts say that sale of breasts milk over the internet can be a serious threat to infant health and urgent regulation is needed. This is because purchasing from internet might be cheaper than buying it from regulated milk banks as seller can cut costs over its process like pasteurization, testing for contamination, collection, storage and shipping etc.

The rapid commercialization of breasts milk gives rise to some questions – Who will be receiving milk in future, the capitalists or the babies in need of mother’s milk? Whether the increasing commercial demand will end the milk donations and milk banks? Whether majority of new mothers will become milk machines in order to earn extra money? Whether this upcoming scenario will turn mother’s milk into one of the most important commercial product and this will give rise to a new industry? And finally most important question is whether it is ethically and morally right or not? All these questions will be answered in near future and we are just watching the blessing turning into commodity.