>when will they sue the people who have
>so persistently and negligently overlooked the fact that any stud breeder
>would know, that artificial feeding is automatically harmful(in greater or
>less degree, but harmful, distorting of normal developemnt immunologically,
>biochemically..) to the normal physiological development of nay mammal?

Maureen, if only "society" would recognize the risks of artificial feeding!
The attorneys who represent "our side" face wholesale discounting of the
risks--if not outright ridicule--when they bring up the hazards of abm. One
of the LCs in our Massachusetts affiliate helped a low-income, ethnic
minority mother cope with months of pumping after her young infant was taken
away and put into a foster home (long story, there was suspicion the father
had injured the child and the mother would not leave him). The mother pumped
and delivered a full supply to the foster home each week, but the foster
mother admitted to the social worker she was discarding the milk because
"formula helped the baby sleep longer." The social worker(s) and judge
refused to order the foster mother to use the ebm (and they were provided
with hazards info...)

BTW, the birth mother was allowed one hour per week to visit the baby (so as
not to upset the foster family) and *the baby nursed avidly on every visit.*

The baby has been returned to the birth mother (finally)--and I believe I
heard the father was exonerated. (Anyone who needs details on this case can
email be--I can pin down the exact facts from the LC who worked with this
mother)

Today on NPR (US public radio) there was a program focussing on the battles
against the behemoth tobacco industry, and the trials (quite literally) of a
former tobacco industry scientist who blew the whistle when he realized the
company he worked for wanted to suppress the data they (themselves) compiled
on the dangers of tobacco. Now there are dozens of suits being processed,
brought by tobacco users suing the cigarette companies for, they believe,
promoting (advertising) a product they knew was addictive and harmful. It
has now gotten to the point where the FDA is close(r) to having
nicotine/tobacco declared a drug (subject to control).

If only a formula company scientist would crack...

As long as bottles and formula are seen as benign icons of infancy we have
little hope of convincing a court that breast is best. (But thanks to all of
you LCs, writers and attorneys who are working on this problem.)

Margery Wilson, IBCLC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
USA