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Date: | Wed, 14 Oct 1998 09:24:41 EDT |
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While I applaud those involved in the effort to follow up the planned anti-
breastfeeding episode of Chicago Hope with info on how to prevent dehydration
in breastfed babies, I am still extremely disturbed by the entire situation.
If the info I have received is accurate, the infant formula manufacturers have
pulled a real coup this time. My understanding is that the upcoming episode is
actually *sponsored* by the nation's largest pharmeceutical lobby. I believe
that, in addition to information on how to assess a breastfed baby's state of
hysdration (and the point should be made that *any* baby, however they are
fed, can become dehydrated) , viewers need to understand the blatant
political/economic underpinnings of this storyline. I may be in the minority,
but I don't see a video responding to a storyline in which a baby dies
*because* he is breastfed as a "great opportunity" to promote breastfeeding.
Instead, breastfeeding has once again been made pathological in some way. I
also sincerely doubt that many stations around the country will even air the
M***** video. After all, what they would be doing is literally giving away
weeknight, primetime airtime, which isn't something they *ever* do. The point
needs to be made to CBS and the show's producers is that they are either
complicit in a very unethical arrangement with the infant formula companies
which are sponsoring the show or (more likely) have been totally duped into
doing this storyline. I, for one, would like to see the lactation advocacy
community take a more opinionated stand on this situation.
Again, I do commend those who are working so hard on the video response.
Katie Allison Granju
Knoxville, TN
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