Monday 14 September 2020

The Milk of Human, Kindness?

A company in the US (Biomilq) and one in Singapore (TurtleTree Labs) are both, reportedly, planning to commercially produce human milk as an alternative to formula feeds (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/13/should-mothers-milk-be-produced-in-the-lab). They both propose to grow human mammary cells in vats, to supply them with the appropriate nutients and stimulants, before removing the secreted milk for storage and sale. This is a somewhat contentious development. There is, in deed, a shortage of human milk (not every mother can lactate adequately for a whole variety of reasons). It is also possible that human milk has been honed by evolution to be the healthiest for our species. Having said that, the bond between the mother and child in lactation can be very special (perhaps having lasting repercussions) and, making this 'product' widely available (to those who can pay for it), might discourage some women from even attempting (or persisting) with the process.

1 comment:

Paul Brain said...

I perhaps should have mentioned that certain hormones (like oxytocin) that are involved in the 'neuro-endocrine reflex' of lactation appear to have effects on 'attachment?

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