Hi all!

Here is the letter I sent to intehealth and their response. This is the first
letter that I write since my heart always skips a beat when I even think about
writing to anyone including Lacnet, but I am getting gutsier!

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To Whom It May Concern:

I recently heard that the Television show "Chicago Hope" will be mentioning
breastfeeding during one of its episodes.  Unfortunately, it seems that the
show will be speaking about risks rather than benefits.  I am writing to you
because it is important that you know that providing this type of unbalanced
information is not only incorrect, but also only serves to scare new parents
and parents-to-be.

As a fact of life, it is true that there are risks to feeding a newborn;
however, the risks associated with breastfeeding are not due to the mother or
baby but rather to the mismanagement of breastfeeding itself.  On the other
hand, the risks  with formula feeding are numerous, never mentioned, and are
associated with far more than a problem of mismanagement.

Mismanagement of breastfeeding is a risk that can be avoided.  Understanding
the medical and natural aspects of breastfeeding is a good first step.  The
second step is knowing to whom (not what) to turn to when something does not
seem quite right; Nursing Mothers Groups, La Leche League or an International
Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).  A third critical step is
opening communication between ALL members of the medical team involved in the
care of the mother-baby dyad so that both receive the best of care.  In order
to accomplish the above-mentioned steps we must allow those individuals who
have dedicated their lives to this aspect of medicine, breastfeeding, to be an
integral part of the medical team.

For further information and better representation of breastfeeding please have
parents and other medical professionals call their local Nursing Mother's
Counselor group, La Leche League or an International Board Certified Lactation
Consultant.

Sincerely,


Yvonne C. Bannister, IBCLC

ANSWER


Thank you for your interest in InteliHealth, Home to Johns Hopkins Health
Information.  Contrary to what was said in an unauthorized press release
about a "Living with Hope" segment on the "risks associated with breast
feeding," the segment, to air following the October 21 episode of "Chicago
Hope," will demonstrate how to breastfeed and will highlight the benefits of
breast feeding.

Best,
Maureen Platt

Smiles,
Yvonne
**********************************
Yvonne C. Bannister, LLLL, IBCLC
Temporarily in Bordentown, NJ (USA)
Private Practice/Baby's BestFeeding
"A mother holds her baby . . . who lovingly holds her breast and gets the
best!"
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