Judy, Glad to hear you're pulling your name from American Baby, doesn't
do much for your reputation as an IBCLC to be listed as one of their
advisors on breastfeeding. I'll try to attach the letter I sent, have to
take it from another part of the computer and insert it here (also
pressed for time this am so don't have much patience); remember, I'm a
novice at this, but learning fast.



Judith Nolte, Editor
American Baby Magazine
K-111 Magazine Corp.
249 West 17th Street
New York, NY 10011


Dear Ms Nolte,
        For quite some time I’ve been receiving free issues of American Baby
magazine to give
out to parents in my prenatal classes. As the hospital’s Lactation
Specialist, I obviously take
particular interest in your magazines approach to breastfeeding.
        Overall I’ve been pretty disappointed in the number of ads that promote
formula and/or
bottle feeding and the lack of  positive articles on breastfeeding.
Recently (July 1997) your
magazine ran an article by Dr. Alwin Eden that gave outdated and
inaccurate data regarding
supplementing breastfed babies with Iron and Vitamin D. It does no good
to tell parents that breast
milk is the best nutrition for their babies and follow the statement
with incorrect assertions that
there isn’t enough Iron or Vit D in the breast milk. Dr. Alwin needs to
update his information before
writing articles that parents will read and believe because he is
considered an authority, simply
because he has an “MD” after his name and has been published in your
magazine.
        I would urge you to corroborate these kind of statements in the future.
As for myself,
please do not send me any more free copies, my recycle bin is filling up
as you can be sure I am
no longer giving them out to new parents in my breastfeeding class.
        I actually wrote this letter last month, but did not send it as many of
my colleagues were
also sending letters with a similar message. Since none of these letters
were published in your
August issue, and no correction was made regarding the inaccurate
information, I’ve decided to
send my letter and reaffirm my statement to not send me any more free
magazines. I also found it
disturbing that given August is Breastfeeding Awareness month, the only
mention of breastfeeding
in this issue is the small blurb on page 6.

                                                        With deep                                                               regrets,

                                                        Mary A.                                                         Banaszewski, RN