Hi it’s me Cabot Strange and I just wanted to thank you for sending me those website links to further help me in my research concerning toxins in breastmilk. I will have to admit I was truly amazed in the information that I read. It really did open my eyes. The information stated in “Towards Healthy Environments for Children,” a FAQ (frequently asked questions) sheet published by WABA: leads to believe that chemical residue is not a reason for substituting breast milk with formula. This FAQ sheet also further explained that breastfeeding would be a good idea even if chemical residues were found in a nursing mother’s breastmilk because this will help build the baby’s immunity to environmental pollutants. This FAQ sheet also went on to say that the damage caused by environmental chemicals and pollutants could be limited by breastfeeding. It is important to note that testing the breastmilk is not needed unless a mother has been exposed to high amounts of an environmental pollutant or chemical (ex. long time workplace exposure or industrial accidents) (WABA 2005). I was also very surprised in the facts I obtained from the article “Toxins and Infant Feeding,” by Newman (2005). This article informed me that breastmilk changes from morning to night and from day to day. If I understand this right that means that it would be impossible for baby formula to be the exact same as a mother’s breastmilk (Newman 2005). This article also brought to my attention that baby formula contains many heavy metals, like lead, for example, and in much higher percentages than breastmilk. I also concluded that the cows used to produce the milk for formula are around all sorts of pesticides and chemicals used on or near the fields in which they are kept. So wouldn’t this mean the cows are probably exposed to more chemicals in our environment than we are (Newman 2005)? I was further alarmed by reading this article that breastfed children do better on neurological and intelligence tests than formula fed children (Newman 2005). All of this information really got me thinking. Why is baby’s formula pushed so hard when the research is out there that breastfeeding baby’s is so much better? Is society so consumed by greed and the almighty dollar that we would sacrifice our children’s health? Or could it be that many people like to take the easy out because feeding a baby formula is easier than breastfeeding. If you have any answers or more resources to check out I would be eternally grateful if you could respond. References: Newman, J. (2005 January). Toxins and Infant Feeding. Retrieved October 4, 2007, from http://www.kellymom.com/newman/28toxins_in_breastmilk.html World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). (2003, October). Towards Healthy Environments for Children: Frequently asked questions about breastfeeding in a contaminated environment. Retrieved October 4, 2007, from http://waba.org.my/pdf/FAQ *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html Mail all commands to [log in to unmask] To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask]) To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask]) To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]