Genetically modified cows produce human breast milk

Calliegirl

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Why not just breast feed?
Aside from the ethical issues, I can't imagine there are that many women who can't breast feed who would need something like this. Of course, there may be lots of women who don't want to, but it isn't the cows job to be their wet nurse.

What happens when you introduce human genes into cows? Why, you get cow-people who cows that can produce the nutritional equivalent of human breast milk of course. Yum?
Now before you get your hopes up, no, this stuff is not for your Cap'n Crunch. The reason that Chinese researchers have introduced human genes into cows is to enable them to produce an adequate substitute for human breast milk, since baby formula doesn't offer the same benefits. That said, there's no reason you couldn't drink it, and according to the researchers, "the milk tastes stronger than normal milk," whatever that means.
To get the human bits into the cows, Holstein dairy cow embryos had their DNA modified using cloning techniques. The clones were implanted into surrogates, and so far about 300 of these "humanized" cows have been created. Their milk boasts a much higher nutritional content, 20% more fat, and a variety of proteins that boost immune systems in human babies...

http://dvice.com/archives/2011/04/cows-with-human.php
 
That makes me mad. Humans can be so selfish. It especially irks me when parents bring their own offspring onto the planet and from the minute they're born they're wrecking the lives of other animals. Like their precious baby is so much more important than every other being.
 
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yeah, cause worrying about producing breast milk in women that can't and would like to, is less urgent then seeing if we can force cows to do it. :fp:
 
This question is
That makes me mad. Humans can be so selfish. It especially irks me when parents bring their own offspring onto the planet and from the minute they're born they're wrecking the lives of other animals. Like their precious baby is so much more important than every other being.

Of course a person's own being is more precious to them than other beings that aren't directly related to them. that's called a direct relationship.
 
One has to consider if this is an issue for the individual cow though, do they suffer from giving the alternated milk?
 
Well most formula is already made from cow's milk anyway. :/

What I don't get is how so many women think it is gross to feed their baby donor milk from another (human) mom but have no qualms about giving them cow's milk (or formula made from cow's milk)
 
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Well most formula is already made from cow's milk anyway. :/

What I don't get is how so many women think it is gross to feed their baby donor milk from another (human) mom but have no qualms about giving them cow's milk (or formula made from cow's milk)

people are odd about bodily fluids.
 
Well most formula is already made from cow's milk anyway. :/

What I don't get is how so many women think it is gross to feed their baby donor milk from another (human) mom but have no qualms about giving them cow's milk (or formula made from cow's milk)
people are odd about bodily fluids.

That really is strange when you think about it. Most would have no problem with their babies getting a blood transfusion or an organ transplant.
 
1.I had a patient whose lactating sister breastfed my patient's baby when the new mother took ill on Day 2. The baby did great. The doctor made the mom sign a release form, so stupid.

2. That milk from those genetically altered cows is just cows' milk with more of 2 proteins found in human milk. Breast milk is a living fluid containing many ingredients, and it changes with each feeding. They can pretend all they want that this will prevent diarrheal disease in babies in the underdeveloped parts of the world, but that is highly unlikely. Stop formula companies from selling expensive dried cows' milk crap to women without access to clean water to reconstitute it, and you may make a dent. As if they won't be of necessity reconstituting this new improved cow milk with the same fetid water. :rolleyes::rolleyes::

3. The genetically altered cow must be pregnant to lactate. Apparently, the calves don't do well, they "can't even use then for veal." :vomit:

Another article on it: http://news.discovery.com/human/cow-breast-milk-human-110405.html
"And while some headlines have touted the discovery as a way to get human breast milk out of the udders of dairy cows, this kind of transgenic milk is still far more cow-like than human-like. It simply contains a boosted level of beneficial enzymes, much like the milk that human mothers produce.

"The cows are making cow's milk that has a human protein in it," said James Murray, a geneticist in the animal science department at the University of California, Davis, who has done similar work with goats but was not affiliated with the new study. "To say it is more like human milk is stretching it a little bit. I think that's misleading. It also just plays into the fears of people who are opposed to it.""
 
One has to consider if this is an issue for the individual cow though, do they suffer from giving the alternated milk?

I imagine they still impregnate them, take their babies away so they can have the milk and line them up to machines to suck it out, so I'd put my money on yes.

Does not sound like a good time let alone life.
 
I imagine they still impregnate them, take their babies away so they can have the milk and line them up to machines to suck it out, so I'd put my money on yes.

Does not sound like a good time let alone life.

That'd be no difference from now then.
 
Of course a person's own being is more precious to them than other beings that aren't directly related to them. that's called a direct relationship.

Maybe, but I think that ethical people shouldn't bring someone onto the planet if by doing so they are purposefully making the decision to sacrifice others' well-being and lives to take care of their baby. It's not like some cow is threatening their human babies, they've just decided to make the cows' and calves' lives a living hell because they think their own kind is superior.
 
Maybe, but I think that ethical people shouldn't bring someone onto the planet if by doing so they are purposefully making the decision to sacrifice others' well-being and lives to take care of their baby. It's not like some cow is threatening their human babies, they've just decided to make the cows' and calves' lives a living hell because they think their own kind is superior.

ok. but i think most people are not even close to any of this mindset. And i doubt that most people bringing someone into the world purposefully make the decision to sacrifice another's well being and lives. I think you're thinking this through too much. And i don't think it has to do with superiority. I think it has much more to do with ignorance and other issues way more than superiority.