The following is a copy of the letter I sent to WebMD, WebRN, and the
foundation that facilitates an honor code for medical web sites on the
internet. Maybe a few letters will provide a wake-up call to this site whose
infant feeding information is exclusively sponsored by an infant formula
company.
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA
------
To Whom it May Concern:
I am writing in response to the Commentary on WebRN entitled, "Beyond
Breastfeeding: Too Much Emphasis on Feeding Leaves a Lot Out," by Barbara
Bronson Grady, WebRN managing editor (July 17, 2000). This disappointing and
vitriolic diatribe merely adds another salvo to the onslaught against
breastfeeding. It is certainly not in keeping with WebMD's editorial
integrity statements, editorial independence declaration, provider policy,
advertising and sponsor policy, nor does it uphold the Health on the Net
Foundation's Code of Conduct.
The article first and foremost does not provide credible information. The
approximately 13,000 references on breastfeeding in the National Library of
Medicine refute every unreferenced, generalized statement made in the
commentary. The author is not an expert on breastfeeding and has provided
outdated and inaccurate medical information. The piece is heavily biased
towards the commercial interests of the infant formula manufacturer that
sponsors all of the infant feeding information at WebMD. The casual dismissal
of breastfeeding as a health promotion behavior makes sense when users visit
the pregnancy site for consumers and find that the exclusive sponsor is a
formula company. This smacks of conflict of interest and is obvious in the
content of the article.
Furthermore your advertising policy states that WebMD has the right to
dictate the form and content on the site. How heavily was the content of this
article influenced by your sponsor? Your advertising policy also states that
WebMD may display search results based on monetary incentives provided by
advertisers. Is this why formula information and poor breastfeeding articles
are listed first in the search results for infant feeding? The infant feeding
information on WebMD appears to be manipulated and controlled by a formula
manufacturer that is in direct competition with breastfeeding.
The net's Code of Conduct for medical sites was certainly not adhered to as
the writer was not a content expert, the material was unreferenced,
inaccurate, inflammatory and ridiculed health care providers who provide
breastfeeding care and services. The author recommends that health care
professionals eliminate educating parents on the importance of breastfeeding
and somehow thinks that umbilical cord care has more of an effect on health
outcomes than receiving the disease protective factors found in breast milk.
She further states that the outcomes of breastfeeding have no value nor are
they of the life-changing variety. This flies in the face of the data that
shows increased risks and rates of allergy, asthma, obesity, diabetes,
numerous cancers, otitis media, pneumonia, diarrhea, and blunted responses to
vaccines. Contracting diabetes or cancer can certainly be a life-changing
experience.
I sincerely hope that no nurse or other health care professional who visits
WebRN and reads this piece actually follows through on the recommendation to
treat infant feeding as a "minor decision." Hazardous personal opinions such
as those presented in this article makes the rest of the information at WebMD
suspect. Given the nature of the sponsorship involved regarding infant
feeding, how can we trust information on other topics to be factual and
unbiased? I will certainly make sure not to recommend this site to my
colleagues. I also see that WebMD is a publicly held company on the NASDAQ
and will make sure that my portfolio does not include WebMD as a holding.
Thank you for your attention.
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, Massachusetts
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