Jeffrey Fouche reports that Peggy Robin wrote to him the following excerpt
about
  *Bottlefeeding Without Guilt*
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 Eighty-five percent of Americans born in the 1950's were brought up on
formula and only formula.  That generation constitutes a mass experiment in
formula use which should be pretty reassuring to the mother today who finds
herself unable to breastfeed.  Chances are high that many, if not most, of
bottlefeeding's most strident critics were themselves fed formula as infants.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
*****My gut reaction******Like that means it is all OK?*******

How do we know we are OK?  What accounts for the increase in Breast Cancer,
heart disease, divorce, Alzheimers, child abuse, drug abuse?  How do we know
that the infant formaula feedings HAVEN"T causes some of our ills?  I am not
saying that we know that BF can account for all these things either, but just
be cause something hasn't been proven by 3 dozen scientists in labs across
the country doesn't mean it isn't so.

 If somebody 10 years ago would have claimed that all gastric ulcers were
caused by a bacteria infection they would have been laughed out of the room.
 Now many gastroenterologists feel that it is very important to treat ulcer
patients for H. pylori infections to heal the ulcer and prevent reoccurance.

I have a very interesting tape from a conference I attended regarding Medical
Ignorance.
It was really interesting. If anybody is interested in getting a copy send me
private email and I can give you the phone number of the audio company and
they should be able to help you.  The speaker makes the point that it is the
things that we don't know that really are important.  And what is really
important are the things that we don't know,   that we don't know.  Read that
again slow to really understand it. Or listen to a copy of the Disney song
"Colors of the Wind" where Pocahontas sings:

You think the only people who are people,
are the people that look and think like you.
But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger,
You'll learn things you never knew,  you never knew!

Twenty years ago did we know that DHA was in Human Milk and not in cow milk
based formula?  I don't know exactly when that was discovered this was the
case, but appears that more and more companies now feel that this does make a
difference.  In the next couple of years this will probably be added to
infant formulas.  This is an example of something that "we didn't know that
we didn't know".  What causes some children to react to medicine and others
not to?  We don't know this,...... but we KNOW that we don't know.

I think that there are ALOT of things about BF that we don't know.....YET. So
I think that Peggy RObin needs to be careful when she states that this mass
experiment has shown that we are all OK.  True I am a critic and I wasn't BF
myself.  But how do I know that my undergrad gradepoint wouldn't have been
3.7 instead of 3.5 if I would have been breastfed?  I will never know for
sure, but because I don't know doesn't mean that it isn't so.

Some things to ponder.  Let me know if you want info about the cassette tape.

Jon Ahrendsen MD, FAAFP, LLLI Medical Associate
Clarion, Iowa
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!!!