In 1941, Dr Cicely Williams, was interred in a Japanese concentration 
camp. Like many of those so interred, she suffered terrible conditions: 
starvation, disease, lack of medical care.

She helped those she were interred with her. During that time... "20 
babies were born, 20 babies were breastfed and 20 babies survived." She 
went on to pioneer work in how much infant formula, and infant formula 
marketeering, damaged babies' lives and health.

I personally have had contact with a woman, who is the grandchild of a 
mother who breastfed twins in a German concentration camp. I regret to 
say, I forget the name of the camp. The mother of this woman, was one of 
the twins.

Women's ability to breastfeed during times of extreme stress, famine and 
degradation, is well noted.

"Indeed, under strong adverse circumstances, such as in times of famine, 
near starvation in times of war, or confinement in concentration camps, 
mothers were able to initiate lactation and breast feed satisfactorily."

<http://tropej.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/pdf_extract/32/3/102-a>

The concept that lack of food, hunger, reduces a mother's ability to 
breastfeed, is one of the most pernicious myths we deal with. It cannot 
be allowed to be perpetuated, particularly in this forum, and to go 
unchallenged as a statement. Particularly in the run up to World 
Breastfeeding Week, which is this year highlighting Breastfeeding in 
Emergencies, in which we've been asked, as a community, to refute such 
damaging myths:

MYTH: “Malnourished mothers cannot breastfeed.”

FACT: Malnourished mothers can breastfeed. Moderate maternal
malnutrition has little or no effect on milk production. In fact,
the mother will continue to produce milk, at the expense
of her own body stores. Extra food and fluids are needed
to replenish the mother’s own reserves, and micronutrient
supplementation may be needed. She also needs
encouragement and support to breastfeed frequently.

SOLUTION: Feed, nurture and support the mother and let her feed
the baby.’

http://www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org/images/english_2009actionfolder.pdf

It is our duty to challenge statements that suggest that hunger in the 
mother is responsible for the cessation of breastfeeding. It is our duty 
to stand up for all babies and mothers, who are being treated badly, 
regardless of who is treating them that way, or why they perceive it as 
an appropriate action. Groups of people, segregated into religious, 
ethnic or racial groups do not, uniformally, either act in good, or 
evil. There are no cohorts of 'good' and 'bad' people. There are only 
good, and bad, acts. That people may do bad, in the name of good, is one 
of the most obvious facts about human beings. That others can then infer 
meaning, that has not been stated, or even implied, is just as obvious 
as a facet of human communication.

You cannot control inference. And you cannot close down discussion based 
on it. For those who inferred from my previous post that I was assigning 
collective, Universal responsibility on a tragic situation, where 
_people_ do bad things, separate from any recognition that those people 
split out on a wide and varied section of populous, not locked down to 
specific religion or Nationality, I refer you to this URL. http://jfjfp.com/

I'm sure you can take inferred arguments off into private post. However, 
the kernel of the post, that woman can and did breastfeed successfully 
in concentration camps, in famine, and in war, stands.

That truth will not be silenced, by dint of the concept that speaking up 
for the babies of the world, is somehow unacceptable, in case we stray 
into political discussion. The politics of a situation where daily, news 
broadcasts ask for formula to feed the babies of mothers in Emergency, 
is our business. This is happening in Gaza, and Karleen rightly brought 
this to our attention. Just as it was brought to our attention for Burma 
and many other locations.

Breastfeeding is politics. If you've not worked that out, you're in for 
a rough ride.

Morgan Gallagher

(More than happy to hear anyone criticism her own Government, if we get 
it wrong - which we do. Everyone gets it wrong, some of the time.)

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