I, too, was very taken aback by this posting.  I could not help but feel
like a subject heading of, "Did formula feeding result in the deaths of this
mum and her children" was meant to sensationalize.  Without further
explanation or comment in your posting, Karleen, it would not be far-fetched
for one to believe that you were perhaps insinuating that had this woman
breastfed, she and her children would have experienced a better outcome.  To
answer the question you have posed, NO -- No, formula feeding did not result
in the deaths of these innocent victims, but rather a catastrophic, natural
disaster.  It would be very poor form and terribly insensitive to the
deceased victims and their family if one had been using their heartbreaking
circumstance as a platform to try and stretch a story so that it
favors one's particular cause.  Perhaps next time, do go ahead and explain
yourself in your message, or at the very least, try to avoid the hyperbole
in the subject line.

Regards,

Jasmine Beaudoin, RN, BSN, IBCLC-candidate
USA


On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 7:34 PM, Karleen Gribble <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Hey Liz,
> The vagaries of communicating tone via email...
> There is absolutely no self righteousness behind that posting or finger
> pointing- just horror at the way this terrible event effected one family. I
> should have however, included more detail on my thoughts. Firstly, it is
> not
> clear that the "milk stop" was for formula or whether the delay to get milk
> made any difference. However, if this were the case can you imagine the
> potential choice this mother was faced with- stop to get formula so baby
> has
> food and risk not being able to get away, don't get food and risk baby
> being
> very sick or dying because of lack of food. What an impossible choice but
> that's how things often are in emergencies- there are no good choice.
> Actually I'm really offended that someone could think that I was pointing
> the finger- I have a long standing commitment to infant feeding in
> emergencies and in working to ensure that those who care for infants get
> the
> support they need. I would have thought that I would have been given the
> benefit of the doubt here.
> Of course you are right, it mothers could have delayed leaving to
> breastfeed
> an infant but they would not have been face with a potential life or death
> choice whichever way they looked.
> Karleen Gribble
> Australia
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lactation Information and Discussion
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Elizabeth Brooks
> Sent: Wednesday, 16 March 2011 5:46 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: DId formula feeding result in the deaths of this mum and her
> children??
>
>  The question above is posed, in response to a news item that a father in
> the
> quake/tsunami zone lost his wife and two young children because (the news
> article says) the mother had "stopped for milk" rather than proceed to an
> agreed-upon checkpoint.
>
> This tragedy is too great, the destruction too vast, the human terror and
> heart-wrenching results too harrowing, for us to resort to this sort of
> told-ya-so-ing.  I am willing to bet there are women and children who died
> in this unfathomable horror because they stopped to breastfeed, too.
>
> There is much work to do to help the survivors, both on the ground (if we
> are near and capable) and from afar (with our money donations).  Everyone
> who is inclined can offer their prayers.  Breastfeeding women and children
> will require the assistance of emergency workers, and those who are exposed
> to radiation will need specialized treatment.  I'd like to see the
> discussions on Lactnet focus on these far more enlightening (though
> sad) topics, than to cyber-finger-pointing at some young man, who has lost
> his family, and no doubt his home and livelihood.
> --
> Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA
> Wyndmoor, PA, USA
>
>             ***********************************************
>

             ***********************************************

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