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The 3
Minute Activist
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"This letter is in response to a recent article on breastfeeding in the St. Louis Post-News Dispatch."
Three cheers for Judith Newmark's article, "Nursing babies: All the pros"(September 16, 2020)! I was especially pleased to read about a mother and pediatrician nursing triplets, an almost unheard of event. It is odd that a society seemingly consumed with financial prosperity and safety is largely unwilling to make the investment in breastfeeding, despite its proven benefits to babies' health and cognitive development. As Newmark noted, the American Academy of Pediatrics has strongly recommended that women breastfeed their children for at least 12 months. This recommendation comes as a result of many studies that have demonstrated that breastfed children have lower risks of diarrhea, lower respiratory infections, ear infections, allergies, eczema, bacterial meningitis, and many other illnesses, as well as higher Iqs. The list of benefits to both mother and child is extensive. One of the goals of the United States' "Healthy People 2000" program is increasing to 50% the number of women who breastfeed their children until at least 5 to 6 months of age. Sadly, though, less than 60% of mothers are breastfeeding at the time of hospital discharge, and only about 20% are still breastfeeding their babies at 6 months. Because the media have an enormous impact on what we as a culture deem "socially acceptable," your article has tremendous potential for positive influence on the way Americans perceive breastfeeding. Breastmilk is one of the best starts in life anyone can ever hope to provide a child, and nursing is one of the most natural acts in the world. Thank you for helping to spread this message so eloquently.
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