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ProMoM
Media Watch
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Letter Writing Opportunity - Mother Jones Backtalk, Mother Jones Please make sure to include your email or phone number in the last line of this letter. Ladies and Gentlemen: I was very disappointed to see that the recent Mother Jones interview with Theodora Colborn suggested that breastfeeding might be ill-advised. Specifically, Mother Jones asked Colborn if "breast feeding [is] doing more harm than good at this time." Colborn provided, at best, an extremely weak endorsement of breastfeeding, and stated that she "would not want to have to make the decision [her]self today." Given that your readership includes those women in our culture who are most likely to breastfeed, I feel that it is irresponsible to portray formula and breastfeeding as nearly-equivalent. Furthermore, it has no scientific basis. Chemicals and dioxins are present throughout our environment, so formulas derived from cow's milk and pesticide-treated soybeans cannot be assumed to be any freer of contaminants than breastmilk. In addition, formula lacks components of breastmilk uniquely designed for the human infant because they cannot be synthetically reproduced. In particular, we cannot discount the immunological benefits of breastfeeding. Studies show that women who were themselves breastfed are at decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. By discouraging breastfeeding, we may in fact put our children at greater risk to environmental toxins. Formula feeding is associated with a higher incidence of allergies, cognitive deficiencies, cardiorespiratory disturbances, morbidity, and mortality. Formula fed infants have 10 times the risk of hospitalization due to bacterial infection, double the risk of lower respiratory tract infections, 3-4 times the risk of otitis media, 3-4 times the risk of diarrheal illness (in industrialized nations), and 5-8 times the risk of childhood lymphomas. Formula feeding accelerates the development of celiac disease and is a risk factor for Crohn's disease and adult ulcerative colitis. Infant formulas do not contain docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and other essential fatty acids present in breastmilk which are necessary for proper brain development. However, formulas have been found to contain potentially toxic levels of vitamin D, aluminum, high levels of iodine, and bacterial contaminants including Enterobacter sakazakii. For the citations for these facts, as well as other risks associated with the use of formula, I refer you to the International Lactation Consultant Association's (ILCA) recently-published summary of the hazards of formula use. Clearly, breastfeeding must be supported and encouraged if we are committed raising healthy children. I strongly urge Mother Jones to correct any misconceptions about the relative risks and benefits of breastfeeding caused by the Colborn interview by publishing the hazards associated with formula use.
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