Dear Everyone, I am not on Lactnet, sorry, but some time ago moaned because
UNICEF Australia had once again promoted the State of the World's Children
without mentioning breastfeeding. (In my view, strange when that's so
central to child health and survival..and so much under threat.) Helen
Armstrong sent me the following reply with a suggestion that I post it to
Lactnet, so here 'tis. BTW, I asked her about where to access the report
and it's at www.unicef.org/sowc98  Nice to know that things are better
elsewhere, I guess, if around the world you all heard lots of good
publicity for breastfeeding from UNICEF in December. I'm always happy to
have copies of such reports to include in ALCA Galaxy, so feel free to fax
or e-mail them on if you find a good one...All the best for 1998, which
seems odd when I am still bogged down in 1997 work: Galaxy going to press,
and quotes and arrangements for 112-year-old vicarage renovations... a
demented Maureen. (But the Wedding was fabulous!)

Helen's message follows verbatim:
I would like to set the record straight, for readers who have not yet
obtained a copy of UNICEF's State of the World's Children 1998, that
breastfeeding and the necessary concomitant care for women are a major focus
of the 1998 issue.  Press releases and launching speeches by their very
nature cannot be comprehensive.  They focus attention on a small selection of
issues from the much vaster array that faces governments and international
organisations, which are discussed in the SOWC text.

Readers of SOWC 1998 will note especially pages 13, 21-22 (which highlight
the cognitive deficiencies associated with not breastfeeding in all
countries), 23, 28-29, 30, and 47-51 which explicitly state that
breastfeeding is not just for non-industrialised nations.  We also have
distributed as Breastfeeding Paper of the Month (which goes to all National
Committees for UNICEF) the December 1 statement of the American Academy of
Pediatrics, which cites scientific grounds for its strong recommendation of
six months of exclusive breastfeeding, and sustained breastfeeding for at
least one year and longer.

With warm regards, Helen Armstrong, Training Coordinator BFHI

Maureen Minchin, IBCLC, 5 St, George's Rd., Armadale Vic 3143 Australia
tel/fax till maybe end January or mid Feb: 61.3.95094929 or 95000648
tel/fax after that: will let you know
Address (date depends on renovations; will post): Christ Church Vicarage,
14 Acland St., St.Kilda, Vic. 3182 Australia