I just came back from a big Fair that was held for pregnant and new parents. There were booths for all the various stuff which new parents "need", and LLL had a nice booth as well. There were lectures and seminars all day and after a fellow LC and I finished hassling the various ABM reps. ( I can't resist), we went in to the lecture entitled Breastmilk vs ABM. There was a panel discussion and the members of the panel were our own Dr. Gina Velner (a dentist and the head of LLL in Israel,and one of the few of us who doesn't speak with a strong Anglo-saxon accent giving the impression that breastfeeding is an American thing) a rep of the Health Ministry, and reps of the three main ABM companies who are represented in Israel, and also a moderator who had obviously had a very positive breastfeeding experience. Gina started by answering the various questions which were directed to her about Breastfeeding and she made one important point from the start that she was the only one on this panel who did not stand to get any financial gain from that which she is representing. She was terrific, and so professional. Her answers were to the point and very scientific. Plus she is so articulate in Hebrew!! Of course all the ABM reps proclaimed their dedication to breastfeeding and their firm belief that Breastmilk is the golden standard, but that ABM has to exist in case the mom can't breastfeed if , for example, she is taking antibiotics or if her baby is jaundiced ( don't worry, I pounced on her later for those insinuations!) Somehow the conversation got around to LC-Pufa, nucleotides, phyto-estrogens, DHA and other various components which have been added to ABM to make it more marketable, and what ensued was huge argument among the three reps each saying how the additives in the other's ABM was harmful, not accepted by the FDA, etc. It was hilarious, and this went on for about 45 minutes, during which we all sat back grinning as they each labeled the other's product as unfit for human consumption with appropriate references to back up these claims!!! I asked a few provocative questions, just to heat things up a little more, and then a little grey-haired man two rows behind me took the microphone and introduced himself as Dr. Whatever, a member of the Helsinki Committee which is a board of physicians whose job it is to decide which scientific studies will be allowed and which would be harmful to the humans who participate in them. Any research using humans as subjects must get Helsinki Approval. And this is what he said: "I am speaking not as a member of Helsinki, nor as a physician, but as a future grandfather of twins, and I am very confused and concerned after hearing this discussion. I now realize that ABM should be treated as every other medication that has serious side affects on humans and should have to pass very stringent tests in order to be given to our human infants, and yet it is not only given without restriction, but marketed like a harmless substance. I am sure that my grandchildren will be breastfed, but what about all those other innocent babies whose parents are not so well informed? This discussion has left me very worried." He shook his head and sat down. I wanted to go over and kiss him. The health ministry rep did not have an answer, but all the journalists were madly scribbling, and we LC's and LLL's were grinning ear to ear. So, I suggest that you start organizing such panels all over the country and let the ABM companies drown themselves. The whole thing was filmed, and if I can get it dubbed in English, I would love to present it at the ILCA conference. You had to see them all yelling at each other about how terrible the other's formula was!! Breast milk comes out the victor yet again!!!! This made my otherwise very hard week!! Esther Grunis, IBCLC Lis Maternity Hospital Tel Aviv, Israel mailto:[log in to unmask] *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html