Dear Staff at Mother Jones,
        I can only assume your editors and research staff are on vacation. I
was dismayed and downright incredulous that in Mother Jones (March/April
1998) you ran an interview with Theodora Colborn, in which she says that it
isn't clear whether breastfeeding is doing more harm than good!
        Give me a break! Yes children are being exposed to toxins from all
sources, but without the start of breastmilk how do you think they will be
able to deal with that as they grow? What do you propose to feed them
instead? COW MILK FORMULA? please! even Soy formula's contain MUCH higher
levels of toxins than breastmilk, all without ANY immune system benefits AT
ALL. PERIOD. Even if you could produce a pristinely toxin free formula, how
can you neglect the brain altering, IQ lowering health deficits that are so
well documented in babies fed from formulas?
        Human milk is species specific folks, it has ingredients in it that
go way beyond our current level of understanding. And not ONE shred of
evidence exists to make the claim that "we just don't know yet." In fact you
could bury Ms. Colborn up to her eyebrows in proven documented research that
states unequivocally that human milk is the food of choice for infants.
Start with the WHO's Innocenti declaration, then move on to the American
Academy of Pediatric's recent Policy statement and the 111 top chosen
research papers to document their statement, then read the International
Lactation Consultant Association's (ILCA) paper, "The Hazards of Infant
Formula," if that isn't enough, visit the Center for Breastfeeding
Information through La Leche League International and find hundreds upon
hundreds of supporting medical research, not to mention their policy
statement on this issue.
        Now try to find ONE, even ONE document that compares the longterm
health of breastfed babies with formula fed babies that shows that
breastfeeding isn't far and away better... try, you won't find one, because
the facts are very clear, breast is best.
        Next time you publish information like this, check the sources, do
some background research and ask the tough questions. Ms. Colborn is WAY off
the mark, and I'm disappointed in Mother Jones.

Sincerely,
Anne E. Robb, mother of two totally breastfed children.