Editorial

The current issue of the journal has an interesting article on human milk banking.It reviews the guidance from the WHO IYCF and raises ethical issues with respect to use of human milk for babies (other than mother's own milk), especially aspects related to commercialization and its use by individuals, other than for medical indications.The article highlights the issues related to selling of human milk at exorbitant price and its possible impact on donor mothers.There are arguments for commercialization in the form for providing income to poor lactating women.However, there are equally strong or stronger arguments against it -exploitation of vulnerable women if milk becomes a commodity and suffering of children of such mothers as they may not be provided mother's own milk.There are health risks from unregulated sale like absence of screening, pasteurization, cold chain, risk of contamination, infections, and adulteration with animal milk.In addition, there will be inequity in availability as only those babies whose parents can afford will get it.The FSSAI has already placed an advisory against sale of human milk.The article also highlights the role of different stakeholders, especially comprehensive lactation management centers (CLMC) in this respect and role of the Government in expanding CLMCs and human milk banks, across the country.Another article focuses on the standard of care which serves as the judicial benchmark in cases related to medical negligence.It helps in ensuring that doctors are judged by a reasonable and logical standard of professional conduct-balancing accountability with recognition of medicine's inherent uncertainties.Every doctor needs to understand this aspect of clinical medicine.The article emphasizes the aspects that are considered by Hon'ble courts while looking at the cases of medical negligence.There are statutory laws and regulations, prior court judgments, national and international medical guidelines (e.g., ICMR, NMC, WHO, IAP, etc.), clinical practice standards, medical literature and journals and expert witness opinions.In addition, the practice environment also matters.A rural area doctor is unlikely to handle the patient in same way as an organized corporate or government hospital.There is continued column on medical news with little bit analysis.I hope the reading will be informative and useful in day-to-day life.I invite contributions of more articles from our readers and other friends in the fraternity to make the journal more useful.