Sigh. Just when I felt we were making progress, a hit from an unexpected
(so-called progressive) source.

Mother Jones (March/April 1998) ran an interview with Theodora Colborn,
author of _Our Stolen Future_. Colborn, touted as "the Rachel Carson of the
'90s," is a scientist who says the low-dose exposures to many man-made
chemicals can affect developing fetuses and newborn babies, and can cause
"a range of problems, including low IQs, genital malformations, low sperm
counts, and infertility." I don't know if this is true or not, but what
upset me were her statements about BF. Please, please write if this gets
your dander up too. (Information below.)

If you want to see the whole interview, you may have to look at your local
library. It's not on their web site. Anyway, here is the excerpt pertinent
to BF:

Q (Mother Jones interviewer Marilyn Berlin Snell): You've determined that
early exposure to toxins such as lead, PCBs, and dioxins is much more
harmful than exposure later in life. Why?
A (Colborn): During embryonic and fetal development, the brain isn't
developed yet, so you've got an individual that has no feedback mechanism
to protect itself. The fetus is still growing new tissue, constructing its
nervous system, constructing elements of its immune system and the
reproductive tract.
Q: The transfer of these endocrine-disrupting chemicals occurs not only
during pregnancy but also during breast-feeding. According to Environmental
Protection Agency estimates, an infant who is breast-fed for one year will
receive between 4 and 12 percent of its total lifetime exposure to dioxins.
Is breast-feeding doing more harm than good at this time?
A: We don't have enough evidence yet. But I'll tell you quite frankly that
I would not want to havve to make the decision myself today. It appears
that breast-feeding strengthens a baby's immune system, but we also wonder
how these chemicals might be interfering with immune competency in these
children. So far the benefits seem to outweigh the risks, but we just don't
know.

Me again -- so where are the formula makers getting those pristine cows and
soybeans from????

To respond:
- Email to [log in to unmask]
- Fax to 415/665-6696
- Snail-mail to Backtalk, Mother Jones, 731 Market Street, Suite 600, San
Francisco, CA  94103

Please feel free to forward this anywhere you want.

Janice Berry
Columbus, OH