Hello All-
I have to weigh in here, having written a long letter  to the editor to
Orion Magazine several years ago after they published earlier work by Sandra
Steingraber which included a statement to the effect that mother's milk can
contain enough contaminants that it would not be allowed to be bottled and
sold as infant food.
  Yes, it is true we are higher on the food chain than the cows whose milk
is made into ABM.  And thus we do have higher levels of contaminants in our
milk, which is horrifying, and should motivate us ALL to join community
efforts towards cleaning up our environment, starting at the most intimate
levels: in our own tissues.  Moreover, if people are concerned about the
condition of the environment, the use of infant formula adds greatly to the
waste stream.
  However, all of the lactation research we are already familiar with still
stands us in good stead.  It is very well documented that health outcomes
for breastfed infants and children are far superior to outcomes of children
fed ABM, contaminated breastmilk notwithstanding.  The public needs to hear
that human breast milk is still THE baby food of choice,  that the brain,
the GI, the immune systems all are immature at birth, and that breastmilk
has what is needed for NORMAL growth and development of these systems.

Warmly--
Martha Johnson RN IBCLC
Eugene Oregon
Pacific Northwest USA

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