Hello Everyone

Given my long absence from this community, I feel like somewhat of an intruder. Since going 'no mail' in July for major surgery, my hesitation to join in again is mostly based in a fear of spending too much time here eg imagining the epitaph on my headstone will read something like:  "Missing without a trace. Last seen browsing Lactnet Archives in 2011..."

Anyway, some may be interested to read a copy (below) of an email I just sent to the Executive Editor of the NY Times + Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine + Hillary Clinton (via the US Department of State which I'm guessing she probably won't read):

Cheers, Julieanne

EMAIL:

"Dear Mr Keller (Bill) - Executive Editor, New York Times

Warm greetings from Australia.

Recently I was given a link (via a newsletter from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine) to an online article in the NY Times, "Clinton Aims for AIDS-Free Generation":  

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/health/policy/hillary-rodham-clinton-aims-for-aids-free-generation.html  

The Academy's newsletter article was their response to the article named above, in the form of a 'letter to the editor':
http://bfmed.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/abm-responds-to-the-new-york-times-aids-free-generation/

I had intended writing about this in a new post on my blog, but upon searching for the original source of Hilary Clinton's speech (http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2011/11/176810.htm), found no specific reference supporting what the author of the NY Times article had written ie
 
"Mrs. Clinton gave only one date, 2015, by which she hoped a goal would be reached: that no more mothers will infect their babies at birth or through breast-feeding. That is the source of about one-seventh of all new infections."

One can only assume then, that the author of the NY Times article allowed himself to be informed by 'popular belief' rather than fact when including 'breastfeeding' in his statement above. Unfortunately, this kind of misinformation occurs regularly in the context of media reporting about human lactation.

As can be found in the latest World Health Organisation's "Guidelines on HIV & Infant Feeding 2010" the recommendation for mothers in resource-poor countries is to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months in addition to both mother and baby receiving anti-retro-viral medication.

Given the potential of this mistake to further perpetuate one of the many incorrect 'popular beliefs' about breastfeeding, and in the interest of the truth, I respectfully ask that you please consider publishing a clarification.

Kind Regards
Julieanne Hensby
Lactation Consultant IBCLC
Blog:  http://www.humanlactation.com" 

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