The amount of dioxin in the milk is rarely if ever a real cause for
concern.  The real concern is all the pollutants the baby will get
while in utero.

Whoever is encouraging women on Indian Reserves to feed their babies
artificially should be ashamed of themselves.  Like, maybe this is a
stoopid question, but where are the mothers going to get the water to
make up that ultra pure formula, huh?  You mean from that river which
is polluted with dioxins which makes the fish polluted too?  Like, are
we not concerned about the pollutants in formula--like high levels of
lead, aluminum and manganese?  And pesticides?  You mean the cows are
grazing on organically grown hay?  Sure they are.  You mean they are
not spraying pesticides all over the soy beans?  No of course not.
Gee, why formula is always okay no matter how much evidence there is
of its risks?  It may not be true in the richest country in the world,
but here in Canada, many Indians are living in conditions which
approximate third world, and no amount of blather about how little
value there is in breastfeeding in affluent societies applies.

If this woman wants to do the best for her baby, she should
breastfeed.  And what information will you get from dioxin levels in
her blood?  Does that tell you about the risk of diabetes for the
child (very high in Native Americans?).  Does that tell you about the
risk of infection with formula and the lack of antibodies, white
cells, interferon, lactoferrin, lysozyme, mucins etc etc (because that
is the big deal with dioxins, isn't it?--interfere with the immune
system).  Does that tell you about the decreased risk of certain
cancers with breastfeeding (because that's what the whole shtick about
dioxins is, isn't it--increased risk of cancer).  Well, why is it that
breastfed babies, dioxins and all, still have a lower incidence of
lymphoma than artificially fed babies.

Boy, am I ticked off.  Nothing personal Ms. McGinnis, I know you were
asking an honest question, but when I heard that the mothers on the
reserve were being advised to feed artificially, I lit up.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC