Hello to everyone on Lactnet,

And happy Thanksgiving to all in the U.S.  I am looking for some
references for a response I need to make to our local parents' magazine.
I was interviewed for their annual "Breast vs. Bottle" article, which
the (childless) writer assured me was very much slanted
pro-breastfeeding.  Boy, was I naive!  I am very upset with the article
and mortified to have been quoted in it.  The other "expert" quoted was
the "Nurse Coordinator for  Clinical Research at the Center for Human
Nutrition who researches both infant formulas and breast milk."  I
called up this center and yes, their funding is from one of the major
SIN manufacturers.  Some of the comments quoted from her are:
"Nutritionally speaking, breast milk is still the ideal for an infant.
Even so, she says babies can thrive well on formula alone."  She also
mentioned that "One of breast milk's few deficiencies is that it may not
contain sufficient vitamin D, especially for infants in the northern
hemisphere in wintertime."  She further says that "It is also not
nutritionally adequate for children past infancy, and mothers in
underdeveloped countries who breast feed their children for several
years may unwittingly contribute to their malnutrition. Also, research
is inconclusive but some studies suggest that breast milk's
immunological effects may be short-lived."  The only "mother" quoted was
a bottle-feeding mother who said "as a new mother, there's a lot of
pressure on you (to breast feed).  The biggest reasons I decided against
breastfeeding are that the father can't feed the baby and you have to
watch everything you put in your body."

Well, I'm all upset again just typing this.  I need to make a response,
but I'd like it to be an intelligent response backed up by research!
Any help would be *greatly* appreciated.

Anne Easterday, LLLL
Omaha, Nebraska