>He will be appearing at the bfing conference in early September of 
>ALCA in Canberra
>
>http://www.alca.asn.au/4883/Conference/Program/Full_Program
>
>I am sure we will all know more re the context of his utterances, 
>after this meeting.


I am a journalist.

I can have a go at  'reverse-engineering' most newspaper stories, but 
so can any of you.

This one

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article6718276.ece

begins with an interview in the Times (London Times, not NY)  with 
political philosopher Joan Wolf who has a book coming out. The 
interviewer is actually primarily a columnist and TV reviewer, rather 
than a reporter or health or science specialist.

She uses her own recent pregnancy experience of leaflets:  "formula 
fed babies are 'fatter, more stupid, more diabetic, they have more 
asthma, eczema, and chest and ear infections, to name but a few of 
their misfortunes listed in the NHS leaflets I was given repeatedly" 
(I don't know these leaflets, I should say).

She decides to get a comment on Joan Wolf's ideas that breastfeeding 
'benefits' (sic) are insignificant. Who does she ask? Prof Kramer - I 
am not sure why,  but his name is well-enough known. She puts a spin 
on his words, saying (without quoting him directly saying this) that 
'He shared most of her [Wolf's] concerns', and she then goes on to 
list some evidence-based effects (though some of the evidence is, 
inevitably, stronger than others) and term them  'myths'.

She uses the 2007 report from the US AHRQ with its conclusion  - " A 
history of breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of many 
diseases in infants and mothers from developed countries. Because 
almost all the data in this review were gathered from observational 
studies, one should not infer causality based on these findings. 
Also, there is a wide range of quality of the body of evidence across 
different health outcomes."

Her spin on this is that because of the 'don't infer causality' 
rider, which is a conventional, academic reminder of the limits of 
what can be claimed scientifically,  that somehow the AHRQ  is 
agreeing that all this stuff about breastfeeding really *is* myth.....

Now, the story in the British press is that Kramer thinks there is no 
real difference between formula and breastfeeding - Wolf's book is 
forgotten, and we now have a 'world expert' apparently questioning 
whether breast is best.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1200943/So-breast-NOT-best-Expert-claims-benefits-breastfeeding-hugely-exaggerated.html

We know who the take-home message is a gift to, and it certainly 
isn't mothers and babies.

I don't know whether Professor Kramer realised what would happen with 
his comments - perhaps someone on Lactnet is a colleague of his, and 
could ask him?

He can't, surely, be happy with what's happened.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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