Dear all

Very interesting series of posts on the Time Cover. I thought Dianne's in particular was great - about a breastfeeding woman being strong.

As I have had some years experience in the Balkans (I worked with UNCHR and WHO before coming to Australia, also many of my husband's family are refugees and displaced people from various republics and ethnic groups .... and now his mother, sister and various nephews and others are getting bombed in Belgrade......I feel I can make some comments.

1. Breastfeeding is a way for a woman in difficult circumstances keep her power and her dignity. The trauma of having to beg or steal formula for a hungry baby defies description.

2. Companies and well meaning individuals can often take advantage of war to promote formula beyond the immediate humanitarian needs

3. Health staff and hospitals in war zones still need help with being baby friendly and promoting breastfeeding. Often myths come out about women who are stressed by war having bad milk, or women who are undernourished producing weak milk. Both are untrue.

4. Breastfeeding is blind to religion, class, and colour. All babies need it.

In regard to Kosovo, I would respectfully suggest that we remember that this is yet another wave in a long series of appalling circumstances and that there have been many mothers and babies displaced on all sides still living in camps or in host families, and they also need our help, sympathy and support. After the immediate shock in the media of each wave we tend to forget the one that went before. 

And finally, I am sure that we must all be grateful to work in a healing profession and not one associated with the conflict industry. We are privileged people.

Mary E Black
Professor of Public Health
University of Queensland

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