Martha you wrote:

"Death by formula is not an issue in our country. That's only a Third World
issue. And if someone ain't dying, there ain't no story."

I hear this alot and it seems to be the reasoning behind the lunacy of having
one breastfeeding policy in developed countries regarding hiv and
breastfeeding and another policy in developing countries.  Death by formula
in the USA and other developed nations is hidden.  I liken it to the 50's,
when we thought smoking tobacco had no connection to disease and death.  The
tobacco industry had enough money and power to influence studies and
government.  What do you think formula companies (along with the drug
industry) have been doing for years and years?  They make sure that only the
studies that benefit their product will see the light of day. Why do you
think all these wonderful studies on DHA are being publicized?  We think to
ourselves that it shows how wonderful breastmilk is and it does!  But the
purpose of those studies is to get artificial DHA put in infant formula not
to encourage breastfeeding.  The same can be said about lactoferrin.  Its
benefits are only glorified because the formula industry needs approval of
this addition to infant formula--a billions of  dollars industry.

When we recognize that researchers have recognized that human milk works
against cancer.  In fact, the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida was using
a component of human milk (HMFG-human milk fat globule) to treat ovarian
cancer.  It also is being used against renal carcinoma and prostate cancer.
These are clinical trials and they are not being used alone but in conjuction
with other drugs.  But if you believe that human milk can reduce breast
cancer or any other cancers.  Then how many deaths are you preventing?  We
don't know.

If a  formula- fed baby in the USA dies because he/she had a bacterial
infection, is that listed as a formula death?  Not.  Its listed as death by
the disease.  Would that baby have died, if it had been exclusively
breastfed?  We don't know, but I would like to suggest to you that their is
strong possibility that may be the case.  We don't know how many infants in
developed countries die/or suffer severe health problems
because we aren't looking at it.  We assume its normal for infants and young
children to be sick often.  I saw some averages of how many sick visits for
infants and young children is the American average--something like 8-12 (?)
per year.  Everyone thinks this is a norm.  Is it?  How many of those sick
infants/children end up hospitalized and how many die from complications of
illnesses that might have been prevented by exclusive breastfeeding?  Don't
know.

Babies are at risk whatever country they are in for the many and multiple
health effects of infant formula.  Death may not occurr as quickly or as
visibly as in developing countries. Like tobacco, the consequences may follow
the person some years down the road. And if they die early we attribute it to
a disease and not to a method of feeding that is ill-suited for infants.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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