Well the Wall Street Journal has certainly shown its colors with this newest
blast against breastfeeding and anyone who supports breastfeeding. The WSJ
seems to have morphed into the puppet mouthpiece of the infant formula
industry. While these articles were aimed to whitewash industry's bad
behavior another attack came from a syndicated columnist, Michelle Malkin.
Andrea told us about this article on December 11, which has been picked up by
numerous newspapers in the US. I found it in the Atlanta Journal
Constitution. Here is my reply.
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to an article by Michelle Malkin, on 12-11-2000,
entitled, "UNICEF's breastfeeding mission is deadly to African children."
While I understand that sensationalism helps sell papers, this column
demonstrated an appalling lack of understanding of a critical situation.
While it is possible to transmit the HIV virus through breast milk, there is
not a simple solution to this issue in poor African countries. Simply
providing free tins of formula to poor mothers puts their babies at a higher
risk of dying from diarrheal and other diseases. Infant formula in these
countries is powdered and must be reconstituted with water which is often
polluted. Bottles and nipples must be washed, but fuel is at a premium and
bottles and nipples are often reused for long periods of time without
cleansing. Infant formula must be purchased, which can amount to more than a
year's family income. Unless formula is donated for a full six months and
clean water and abundant fuel exist, infant formula poses grave risks. UNICEF
has known about the dangers of formula in these situations and rightly
encourages breastfeeding. New studies show that EXCLUSIVE breastfeeding for
the first 6 months by an HIV positive mother has the same transmission rate
as a baby being fed formula.
Breast milk can be rendered safe to use. Ms Malkin's states, "One UNICEF
official blithely supports pasteurized milk as an alternative when mothers
contract AIDS. But babies don't usually begin drinking cow's milk until after
one year." Ms Malkin has grossly misinterpreted this statement. The UNICEF
official was referring to pasteurizing breast milk, a process easily done in
a poor home environment which kills the HIV virus. Once heat inactivation has
taken place, the breast milk is safer than formula. Iron fortified formula is
rarely superior to breast milk, even the milk from malnourished women. Breast
milk composition is not compromised, just the quantity, in malnourished
situations.
Perhaps Ms Malkin's vitriolic rhetoric could be tempered with some facts.
Perhaps she should research her topics before publishing them. Perhaps the
newspapers that use her material should employ someone to check the facts.
Her distortion and simplistic outlook makes me very happy that we have UNICEF
officials who actually understand public health issues making
recommendations, rather than someone like Ms Malkin who endangers infants and
children with her ignorance.
Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
254 Conant Rd
Weston, MA 02493
781.893.3553
[log in to unmask]
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