July 9th, 2007 by MamaBear
Before I continue with this, I need to point out that when I say “non-profit” milk banks, I mean all milk banks that are members of the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. When I say “for-profit” milk banks, I’m referring to The International Breast Milk Project, the National Milk Bank, and any other milk bank or organization that serves a for-profit company. Although The National Milk Bank and International Breast Milk Project are technically non-profit entities, they both serve Prolacta Bioscience, a for-profit company specializing in processing and selling a product made out of donated human milk.
Non-Profit Milk Banks
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Advantages
- Milk is a lot cheaper for the baby’s family than with a for-profit milk bank
- If baby’s family can’t pay, but the baby is critically ill and has a prescription, the milk is free
- Eleven locations in North America, so far
- It may be possible that with enough non-profit milk banks and with a steady supply of milk donors and volunteers (and perhaps government subsidies), that the cost per ounce may one day decrease to an affordable level, or at least not increase substantially.
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Disadvantages
- It’s not always convenient to donate milk to a non-profit milk bank
- Non-profit milk banks do not have the funds to conduct cutting-edge research regarding human milk and milk bank products
- Milk is expensive for the recipient ($3.00/ounce)
- Donors don’t get compensated for their time or milk
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For-Profit Milk Banks
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Advantages
- Because the enterprise is motivated by money, research on human milk just gets done, period.
- Innovative products such as human milk fortifier made from 100% human milk have been invented, with further innovations on the horizon.
- It’s super easy and convenient to donate to a for-profit milk bank, anywhere in the USA. (A phlebotomist comes to your home for the blood and DNA testing, they send you a hospital-grade breast pump to keep even if you decide not to donate your milk, they provide all coolers, ice packs, pay for all shipping costs, etc.)
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Disadvantages
- Even if an uninsured baby is dying in the NICU anywhere in the USA, he/she will likely not be eligible to receive human milk from a for-profit milk bank if the family cannot afford to pay for it
- Milk from a for-profit milk bank is prohibitively expensive. Only insurance companies or very wealthy families would be able to afford to use it for treating sick babies at the current asking price ($6.25/milliliter).
- Since by definition they are for-profit entities, for-profit milk banks have no incentive to lower the price of their human milk products even if they receive an increase in milk donations.
- Donors don’t get compensated for their time or their milk. They also don’t usually know that their generously donated milk will be sold for a profit to the end consumer.
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Overall, I’d say that while it’s great that research is conducted a lot more quickly with for-profit milk banks, non-profit milk banks are better for society overall. Obviously anyone working for Prolacta Bioscience, the National Milk Bank, or the International Breast Milk Project would disagree with this assessment, but you’d probably be hard-pressed to find anyone outside these contrived organizations who’d say for-profit milk banks are a good idea for the majority of babies.
This entry was posted
on Monday, July 9th, 2007 at 12:25 pm and is filed under National Milk Bank, Milk Banks, For-Profit, Non-Profit, Prolacta, International Breast Milk Project.
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