Diana,  You wrote in regard to my comments about allergies and breastfeeding:

"Don't blame Neocate, it helps many distressed babies who were not or aren't
breastfed.  I try my best not to should my moms.  They feel guilty enough
without my finger in their face, too."

There is a difference between giving mothers "shoulds" and sharing
information.  This mother was being told by a nutritionist to use Neocate, and the
lactation consultant was asking for help in getting this sorted out.   I believe
that it is my responsibility to share information that could effect the health
of an infant.  The mother  can disgard or use that information to make a
decision in regard to her infant's health care.  Silence in regard to the
ingredients of infant formula benefits who?  This infant had a corn allergy, Neocate is
a formula primarily made from corn.  Silence for fear of imposing guilt, would
mean that I jeopardize the "decision-making" power of this mom.  She cannot
make an informed decision because she has not been truly informed.

Infant formula has become a bunch of "novel" ingredients.  Frankly the
silence regarding this fact astounds me.  Parents and professionals have a basic
right to know what the ingredients are in a can of infant formula.  For instance,
can someone on this list tell me exactly how nucleotides in infant formula
are derived?  Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA.  Are they novel
ingredients?  Does a farmer grow nucleotides at his ranch and sell them to all the
infant formula companies?  Aren't nucleotides grown in the chemical laboratory?
 Infant formula is a processed food and processed foods in the USA are the
end result of a creative science.  Whether or not these creative foods instill
health and well-being in humans is debatable.  In fact one might suggest that
there are risks to health in a mono-diet of processed foods.

Is knowledge about infant formula not allowed?  Knowledge about human milk is
owned by various infant formula industries.  Why the "kid glove" approach to
this industry?  Will the future mean that our silence has cost many infants
their present and future health and/or lives?  Can we reassure ourselves that at
least we didn't make mothers feel guilty?  We, of course, can be assured that
a billion dollar industry will continue to make billions because of our
silence.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC




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