I loved Pamela's description of the high school textbook's breastfeeding
information in Zimbabwe. In contrast is the health textbook my son used in
10th grade in Wisconsin, U.S.A. In, "Health: A Guide to Wellness," 4th ed
(1994), by Merki and Merki, breastfeeding is mentioned only three times in
774 pages. The references to breastfeeding have to do with the
transmission of the AIDS virus and with nicotine through the milk of
smoking mothers. This is a book that covers good health, relationships,
marriage, parenting and families, pregnancy, birth, the body systems
(including the reproductive), growth and nutrition. I wrote to both
authors, sending them information on the importance of breastfeeding, its
documented benefits, the goals of "Healthy People 2000," the WHO-UNICEF and
American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, etc., and pointing out what
an opportunity they had to help inform and teach about breastfeeding
throughout the book. In reply I was told that space limitations played a
part, that breastfeeding was too "political" an issue, and that including
material on this might be seen as encouraging teen pregnancy. (The one
author who replied said, however, that the other author was responsible for
that chapter). So I think Zimbabwe is way ahead of us in this area. Feel
proud!
Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC in Madison, WI
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