The letter was fine when I cut and pasted it!  Why did it have all those 
"20"'s added?
I will try again:

November 24, 2003
 
Honorable Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary 
Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20201
 
Dear Secretary Thompson:
 
As the professional organization of physicians with expertise in human 
lactation, representing many medical specialties that promote the health of women 
and children, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine urges you to launch the 
National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign (NBAC) without further delay and without 
any watering-down of its content.  Your agency and other health care 
authorities have long highlighted the need for such a national educational campaign to 
reduce the excess maternal and child illness caused by low rates and short 
duration of breastfeeding in the U.S.  
 
Many women in the U.S. initiate breastfeeding but the majority of those stop 
in a few weeks, citing insufficient information and societal support as two 
factors that limit their success.  The NBAC addresses both issues, providing the 
evidence-based risk estimates that women need to make informed decisions, and 
that others (e.g. employers, family members, child care providers, hospital 
policy makers) need to understand how important it is to help women achieve 
their breastfeeding goals.
 
We applaud the DHHS/OWH for adhering to both scientific data and women’s 
perspectives have guided the development of the campaign.  Focus groups were 
conducted among individuals of all races, ages and gender to test different ways of 
presenting the scientific data.  Information was more interesting and 
compelling when quantified in terms of the risks of not breastfeeding rather than 
typical general statements about benefits of breastfeeding.  While some criticize 
this approach in the name of protecting women’s feelings, withholding or 
diluting this information would patronize women, who have demonstrated an interest 
in and a capacity to utilize such knowledge.  Furthermore, risk-oriented 
social marketing campaigns have commonly been used to promote maternal-child 
health, such as in media campaigns to encourage the use of child car restraints, 
discourage drinking during pregnancy, and reduce sudden infant death syndrome. 
 
We are concerned by reports that lobbying by commercial interests risks may 
stall the launch of the campaign and dilute its content.  We urge you not to 
let this happen, for the sake of maternal-child health and out of due respect 
for women.
 
Thank you again for all your efforts to promote the health of women and 
children.  Please do not let all the effort which has gone into preparing for the 
NBAC be diminished in value or delayed.  
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Victoria Nichols-Johnson, MD, MS, FACOG, FABM
President

Posted by:
Nancy E. Wight MD, FAAP, IBCLC
Neonatologist, Children's Hospital, and Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women
Medical Director, Lactation Services, Sharp HealthCare
San Diego, CA, USA
Email: [log in to unmask]

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