"If we push to let everyone know the risks of formula (not just moms) then
maybe everyone would think about what they personally could do to help a
mom continue breastfeeding."

Excellent point!!  Imagine how horribly the anti-tobacco campaign would be going if the only people given clear information on the hazards of smoking were the smokers themselves.  Kids would continue to start in ignorance, their health classes wouldn't cover it, families would shrug and turn away, public places would have no widely-accepted grounds for going smoke-free, even doctors might "know" the information but not be very enthusiastic in their arguments...

I also love the notion that a widely-spread message doesn't target anyone.  People are free to hear it, think about it, talk it through, soak up a bit of the information when there's any personal urgency about it.  All our public health messages work best if they target... the public!  It's how we change public attitudes, not just individual behaviors.  And ultimately those changed public attitudes do more than any ad campaign ever could to change individual behaviors.  

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY  USA
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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