Just thought I would chime in about writing letters to the editor, something
I do daily it seems! American Baby Magazine reaches about 80% of the families
in the US with babies. I saw this figure in a publication called "Marketing
to Women." American Baby articles are often written by free lance writers who
have no background in health care, they want to sell a story. They typically
interview experts to get real information and then edit it to fit into
something they can sell. The regular columns in the publication are usually
written by physicians who have little knowledge about breastfeeding. The
magazine relies on advertising to exist and cannot afford to bite the hand
that feeds it.

I have had several letters to the editor published by this magazine. The
latest was in the November 1995 issue on page 39. Sometimes they print my
letters and sometimes they don't. Your best bet to get one printed is to keep
it very short, offer an address or resource, or mention that some information
may be harmful. Do not get discouraged if they don't print your letter. Here
is my letter:
"I agree with Charles E. Schaefer's advice about responding quickly to a
young baby's cry ("How Do You Deal With a Crying Baby?" August 1995). But his
statements about restricting feedings to "more normal three-to-four hour
intervals," and that frequent feedings delay a baby's beginning to sleep
through the night are not substantiated by reseach. Parents who follow this
advice could place a breastfed baby at higher risk of inadequate weight gain.
Breast milk is digested in approximately 96 minutes, 60 per cent of the time
required for formula (about 156 minutes). A breastfed baby can certainly be
hungry in an hour and a half, and should be fed."

If we do not like the information contained in this publication then we can
suggest that childbirth instructors, physicians, and clinics re-evaluate the
benefits of giving this freebie to their patients and perhaps suggest an
alternative with a better balance of real information.