I wanted to add my two cents on baby friendly conferences. I realize that Maureen Fjeld's criterea are good and correct. This is a different issue, of course, but a problem arises when we (baby friendly people) are not the organizers, but have been asked to speak at a conference which has been sponsored by a formula company, or at least a formula company has put money in, and/or where there will be booths from formula companies and/or lots of freebies for conference attendees from these companies (luncheons, watches etc). This happens to me fairly often, though sometimes I forget to ask in advance. But what if I do know? Do I, as only one of many speakers, insist that the conference committee reject the money they counted on to finance their conference? The result will be that the invitation will be dropped, and we get to speak only to the converted, who do baby friendly conferences. This happened to me the first time several years ago. The Ontario Dietitians had a conference and, as usual, got heavy sponsorship from a formula company. Betty Sterken (of INFACT Canada) and I were asked to speak and were put in a postition of either not speaking at all or accepting the situation. The dietetic association certainly needs education; they are heavily beholden to the formula companies. If we were not there, the only other speaker we knew of was a real sell out to the formula companies--a pediatric nutritionist who sells the whole formula company kit and kaboodle. So we did not accept an honorarium, and insisted that beside our names on the conference pamphlet it was written "not funded by formula company money" or something along that line. And we spoke and got our message across to some people anyhow. A compromise, which still irks me, but I think was the right thing to do. Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC