Here's what I wrote:
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To the Editor, Salon Magazine:

Katie Granju's article on the "Babywise" book (August 6, 1998) is fabulous,
well-researched, and very pertinent. Congratulations for publishing this
very informative article!  I will certainly be back to your site to see what
else Salon has to offer.

I help mothers and babies who experience breastfeeding problems. Some of the
parents of babies who were not thriving were following the Ezzo program, so
I recently purchased a copy to read for myself what the authors had to say.
I was appalled at the consistent themes of coercion and control over
helpless babies' behavior. The "science" that supposedly justifies the
philosophy is dangerously flawed and directly contradicts at least 4 decades
of legitimate research. In my opinion, trying to force someone to eat, play
and sleep on a schedule is manipulation of the worst kind. The more helpless
the subject of the manipulation, the greater the potential trauma to that
individual. Since babies are trying to double their weight in about 5 months
and the infant stomach is about the size of a golf ball, it should be
obvious that frequent feeding on the baby's cues is critical. Furthermore,
the baby only has about 1/4 of its full brain capacity at birth and grows
another 25% in the first six months. By one year, the brain is 2/3
developed, and by 3 years it's up to about 80% of adult size. This is a
one-time opportunity when the proper amount and kind of nutrients; stroking
and touching, and carrying the baby actually are building the permanent
structure of the neurons. Research shows that any starvation at this time
can permanently damage the child. Also, either lifelong patterns of trust
are developed, or a pattern of distrust is permanently carved into the
neurological pathways. In my opinion, the "philosophy" put forth by the
authors of "babywise" is cruel, heartless and downright mean. I shudder to
think of the level of rage that has been hard-wired in the children who
emerge from this kind of "program."

Linda J. Smith
Dayton, OH USA