Thank you very much for your prompt reply to my e-mail. It is nice to know
that someone really is listening. I have to disagree with you that "there
is some confusion " about NOW's response to the AAP Guidelines. Your fourth
paragraph, below, was completely off-point and actually casts a negative
pall on the rest of the statement. The AAP never said anything about
judging good or bad mothers. As pediatricians, it is their obligation to
educate the public about positive public health practices, not to judge
anyone. When they came out with their guidelines on smoking around
children, did your statement contain a caveat that we shouldn't judge the
parents who continue to smoke during and after pregnancy? Was a statement
issued when the AAP guidelines for car-seat use came out, cautioning that
"some women find it very difficult to use car seats because of financial,
logistical, health, or other reasons. Some women are able to overcome those
obstacles, some aren't. We shouldn't use these findings to judge some
mothers as good and others as bad because of their decision on this one
issue of their baby's health care"?

Thank you again for your reply. I hope that in the future more thought will
be given to the impact of NOW statements.

Bonny Nothern

Toledo also urged the public to put the medical findings in accurate
perspective, saying the choice to breast feed is a personal decision; the
factors are different for every mother.  "Some women find it very
difficult to breast feed because of financial, logistical, health, or
other reasons.  Some women are able to overcome those obstacles, some
aren't.  We shouldn't use these findings to judge some mothers as good'
and others bad' because of their decision on this one issue of their
baby's health care."