Dateline NBC:

I saw your show on 10/20/97 and want to comment on Dennis Murphy's
report, "Emma's Choice." He talked with
Emma Cuevas, an Army blackhawk helicopter pilot, who wanted the Army to
make some accomodations so that she could continue to breastfeed her
baby.

While I can appreciate the military's point of view, I also understand
the Cuevas'  fight for their child's rights.   Your story did not even
bring up the reams of compelling evidence showing that breastfeeding is
far superior than artificial (formula) feeding.  While many people are
led to BELIEVE that breastfeeding and formula feeding are just the same,
the fact is that THEY ARE NOT. Compare a 1-pound fetus incubating inside
a healthy mother to a 1-pound fetus on life support in an NICU.  Compare
a successful kidney transplant recipient to a patient on thrice weekly
dialysis.  Then you will start to get the picture.

I think that this evidence should have been shared and would have made
for a much fairer story.

Laurie Wheeler, RNC, MN, IBCLC
Louisiana Breastfeeding MediaWatch
Violet Louisiana USA