CBS News | Battle Over Breastfeeding Ads | December 31, 2003 11:13:25: "Battle Over Breastfeeding Ads
Dec. 31, 2003
(CBS) The largest government-sponsored advertising campaign to promote breastfeeding has come under fire even before its launch. Critics claim that the print, radio and television ads use unnecessary scare tactics to convince women to breast-feed their children..." [Yay, Amy Spangler's out there. Do a media tour, Amy!!! :-) - JC]

NPR : Breastfeeding Campaign Questioned "

A new advertising campaign designed by the Department of Health and Human Services encourages women to breastfeed infants. It also warns of the potential health risks of not breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics questions some of the campaign's health risk claims and scare tactics. NPR's Rachel Jones reports. " [This is a good early warning. The formula industry's tactic is to create the impression that the content of the ads is controversial (the science isn't shaky; they use the questionable technique of "scare tactics", etc.). This obfuscates the real stories - 1) the industry has co-opted US pediatricians in their battle for market share and 2) women are still not being informed of the risks breastfeeding - the risks to their health, and to that of their babies - JC]

Breastfeeding and obesity:
12/22/2003
by Marsha Walker, RN
Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Opinion / Letters /
"THE DEC. 18 editorial 'Policies, Not Pills' discusses after-the-fact interventions for overweight and obese children and teenagers. These children start out as infants whose diet forms the foundation for their health throughout their lives...." [ This letter goes on to question the formula manufacturers' lobbying to halt the upcoming Breastfeeding Awareness campaign. - JC]

The Milky Way of Doing Business by Katie Allison Granju - Hip Mama
Fri 19 Dec 2003 - 15:10 h
"November 3rd, 2003 was a big day for Alabama emergency room pediatrician, Dr. Carden Johnston. On that date last month, he was installed as the new President of the 66,000 member American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) at the prestigious organization's annual meeting in New Orleans. It was also the date that he sparked what has emerged as a major ethical controversy by inadvertently pulling back the curtains on the powerful influence that a particular corporate interest appears to have in shaping AAP policy and action...." [Excellent investigative article - JC]

Martek Posts Higher Profit For Quarter (TechNews.com)
"Nutritional Oils Account For 90% of Revenue
By Michael Barbaro
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Page E05
Martek Biosciences Corp. continued to grow rapidly in its most recent quarter as sales of its nutritional oils to infant formula makers surged. The Columbia biotechnology firm's fourth-quarter revenue rose to $38.6 million from $15.1 million. It earned $6.2 million (21 cents a share) in the quarter ended Oct. 31, compared with $375,000 (2 cents) a year earlier, when the company took a $15.8 million charge tied to the purchase of competitor OmegaTech Inc...."

(DiamondbackOnline.com) Hitting the books and changing diapers
: "Hitting the books and changing diapers
By Daina Klimanis
Staff writer
PETER CASEY--THE DIAMONDBACK
"As she rushes out of her apartment at 6:15 a.m., Ebony Sails first puts on her coat and backpack. Then she slings a bag full of baby bottles over one shoulder and a bag holding a breast milk pump over the other. Once everything is in place, she leans over to pick up her son, Jalen, who's just shy of 5 months old. She'll drop him off at her grandmother's house and then go to work at the Department of Energy. Later she'll drive to the university; during her breaks between classes, she'll pump breast milk into bottles in the bathroom of Tydings Hall...." [I really like that this is in a student newspaper - what a great role model this women is to her fellow students... most of these young people will have given no thought up until now to the idea that one can pump breastmilk to nourish a child.- JC]

McCullough tapped to head Ross Products - 2003-12-15 - Business First of Columbus
"Gary McCullough has been named head of Abbott Laboratories Inc.'s Columbus-based Ross Products division. McCullough replaces Gary Flynn, who will retire in 2004 after 32 years with Abbott...."

OFFICE AS A LACTATION LOCATION
New York Post Online Edition: health
By JENNIFER GOULD KEIL
December 9, 2003
"PUBLIC relations exec Sonya Rendigs does it in the ladies' room.

Scientist Katie Brennan found an empty office and did it there.

And when writer Diane Brady needed to pump breast milk for her infant son and daughter, she did it in her glass-walled office at Business Week - behind a Japanese screen...."

The Daily Telegraph | Working mothers turning to bottle
By ZOE TAYLOR Medical Reporter
December 9, 2003
"WOMEN are under more pressure than ever to quit breastfeeding and return to work in a trend that is worrying health professionals. It's part of the reason for a new push by NSW Health to encourage breastfeeding. At six months, fewer than 20 per cent of NSW babies are being exclusively breastfed. The World Health Organisation recommends babies receive nothing but breast milk for the first six months..."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/08/2003 | Dispute over tone delays ad push for breast-feeding
By Marie McCullough
Inquirer Staff Writer

"A government-funded advertising campaign to encourage breast-feeding is being toned down and postponed amid criticism that the ads make unproven medical claims and use scare tactics. The leading critics are the makers of infant formula, a multibillion-dollar industry. Complaints also have come from officials at the American Academy of Pediatrics, a group that staunchly promotes breast-feeding and drew fire in 1997 for urging new mothers to commit to the practice for at least a year...."

Update on Hospitalized Remedia Babies
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News
14:48 Dec 08, '03 / 13 Kislev 5764
(IsraelNN.com) Three infants remain in the Schneider's Children's Hospital and Tel HaShomer Hospital, all in serious condition - the result of the vitamin b1 deficiency in the Remedia soy-based infant formula...."

Yahoo! News - Breastfeeding mom gets three months home arrest
Fri Dec 5, 2:17 PM ET
"RAVENNA, United States (AFP) - A 29-year-old mother who drove down a motorway breastfeeding her baby has been sentenced to three months' home arrest. An Ohio judge also put Catherine Donkers on probation for two years and ordered her to undergo a mental health evaluation on account of her repeated defiance of law enforcement officials Thursday. Execution of the sentence was delayed pending the outcome of Donkers' appeal. "

On The Job / Bureau of Labor and Industries: Oregon law doesn't order breast-feeding adaptations - The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA
"December 7, 2003
By Dan Grinfas
"Question: What is an employer's obligation to allow breast-feeding in the workplace? Does the law mandate extra breaks for this purpose?

Answer: Some states make it an employer's obligation to allow for breast-feeding in the workplace. But Oregon employment laws do not set any special standards in this area...."

VOANews.com - iThemba Lethu: Caring For The Infant AIDS Orphans
"In areas where HIV/AIDS is widespread, there is often intense debate over whether it’s safe for a woman to breastfeed. Supporters say babies who are breastfed are usually much healthier than those on powdered formula. But critics say breastfeeding results in many thousands of HIV infected babies each year. In Durban, South Africa, one small group that cares for AIDS orphans thinks it has an answer. Anna Coutsoudis has watched HIV/AIDS spread across her country at an alarming rate. It its wake, the epidemic has left behind AIDS orphans, many of them infants. Ms. Coutsoudis is an associate professor of pediatrics and child health at the University of Natal. She is also the founder of a home for infant AIDS orphans. ..."

India bans baby formula ads - http://www.theage.com.au
December 6, 2003

"India will ban advertisements for baby formula in a bid to promote breast feeding, officials say. The ban starts on January 1 and will apply to all forms of media, the government said in a statement. India's Parliament had approved the action in May. The government will also officially recommend that babies be given only mother's milk for the first six months of a child's life. Previously, it had recommended exclusive breast feeding up to 4 months...."

Advertising: Breastfeeding Ads Delayed by a Dispute Over Content
By MELODY PETERSEN
Published: December 4, 2003

"Federal officials have softened a national advertising campaign to promote breastfeeding after complaints from two companies that make infant formula, according to several doctors and nurses who are helping the government with the effort...."

Appeal: Under threat: an ancient tribe emerging from the forests

independent.co.uk
By Paul Vallely
04 December 2003

"The woman came out from the forest at the side of the road. She was stark naked, apart from a thong of braided red around her loins. She waved to stop the bus. As it slowed the passengers could see that delicately drawn patterns in white clay adorned her face and body. Those in the bus were fascinated, and wary. For tens of thousands of years the Jarawa people have lived in isolation in the rainforest of the Andaman Islands, remote in the Indian Ocean. Their reputation is of a hostile tribe ready to keep strangers at bay with bows and arrows. But now, for the first time, they have started to emerge from their forests....
It is only in the past 150 years that the islands have been settled, first by the British, who set up a penal colony, and then by the Indians. Slowly the settlers have cleared the forest. The Indian government set aside an area of rainforest for the Jarawa but it saw them as 'primitive'. Its officials took gifts of food and cloth to the edge of the forest: the Jarawa accepted them, but mocked the officials by urinating on their feet and squirting breast milk at them...."

Breastfeeding campaign needs to move forward - ithacajournal.com
Mothering Matters
By ELIZABETH BAUCHNER

"Something very wonderful, or something very sad, is about to take place in American breastfeeding politics. For the past year, the Advertising Council -- in conjunction with the Office on Women's Health at the Department of Health and Human Services -- has been developing a national breastfeeding awareness campaign. The campaign, which is scheduled to start by the end of this year, is under fire from formula companies who object to the message of the campaign, which focuses on the risks of not breastfeeding... "

Breast-feeding campaign irks formula groups
Infant-formula industry succeeds in delaying government's advertising effort
By Michael S. Gerber
December 3, 2003
The Hill www.thehill.com

"A government-sponsored public service advertising campaign promoting breast-feeding awareness is the subject of heated debate after complaints about its content by the infant formula industry...."

TheWMURChannel.com - As Seen On News 9 - Breast-Milk Banks Help Mothers, Infants

POSTED: 5:09 p.m. EST December 3, 2003
"LYNEBOROUGH, N.H. -- Mothers who are unable to breast-feed their child can still give the baby breast milk, thanks to breast-milk banks.

Jennifer Connel, of Lyneborough, plans to feed her baby breast milk, but she had breast cancer and a double mastectomy in 2002 at the age of 31. Through a lot of work and research, Connel found a way she can still feed her baby breast milk, but it's not cheap and it's not covered by her health insurance...."

Love's Legacy Saved Many From AIDS
"December 01, 2003

- Steve Sternberg
USA TODAY
"It was his mother's obsession. Nothing mattered more to Elizabeth Glaser and the two close friends who helped her launch the Pediatric AIDS Foundation 15 years ago this past week. Jake, 4, was HIV-positive. Glaser, the wife of actor/writer/director Paul Glaser, knew her son was living on borrowed time. Her 7-year-old daughter, Ariel, had died of AIDS three months earlier. ..."

Vital Signs: Disparities: New Findings on Breast-Feeding
New York Times
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: December 2, 2003
A new study finds little evidence, despite some earlier reports, that breast-feeding reduces a child's risk of high blood pressure in adulthood. 'Our analysis suggests that any effect of breast-feeding on blood pressure is modest and of limited clinical or public health importance,' the study's authors wrote in a report in BMJ, the British medical journal...."

Health Tips... from UPI - The Washington Times: United Press International: "WHY BREAST-FED INFANTS RESIST HIV INFECTION

Researchers say anti-viral agents in an infant's saliva may protect the child from breast-feeding related HIV. While breast feeding is estimated to cause one-third to one-half of new infant HIV-1 infections worldwide, most breast-fed infants with HIV-positive mothers remain uninfected. Scientists at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta identified factors that can affect transmission of HIV through breastfeeding. Scientists believe while breeches in an infant's intestinal lining may allow the virus entry, anti-viral agents in an infant's saliva may present a hostile environment to the virus, diverting infection. The presence of HIV antibody in saliva already has been recognized in HIV-infected individuals, but scientists do not yet know whether this antibody is developed in non-infected breast-fed infants. "

The Daily Telegraph | Basking in the glow
Daily Telegraph
Excerpt
[Sarah McLachlan talks about difficulties adjusting to motherhood as she worked on her new album. - JC]

"'I hated everything I was writing. I think that was mostly because I was pushing myself back into music too soon after having my child. That didn't work at all and I ended up resenting it.


'That was a bit frightening. I was so sleep-deprived but I wasn't thinking about that being to blame or trying to blame anything, really. I just thought all the music I was writing was complete crap.


'And I love making music. It's a joyous thing for me and at that time, there was no joy.'


India's arrival also meant a change to McLachlan's modus operandi for songwriting. Being a mum meant she could no longer isolate herself for months on end to focus on her work.


'I used to go and lock myself away in a cabin %u2013 because I'm such a procrastinator %u2013 and just write the album,' she says. 'But having a kid means you're lucky if you have an hour a day to focus on writing and that's not enough.


'So I stopped trying to make it enough and decided to focus on being a mother and not trying so hard.


'The fog lifted after I finished breast-feeding. I've spoken to a lot of mothers who've said exactly the same thing %u2013 that literally a week after you finish breast-feeding, you feel like a different person.


'And India had become a little more independent and strong and could handle a few hours away from mum.'"

New Zealand News - NZ - Problems deter breastfeeding mothers: survey
CA WALSH, Health Reporter

If New Zealand wants women to breastfeed their babies, more resources are needed to help first-time mothers overcome 'normal problems', a survey says.

Parenting magazine Little Treasures has found that two-thirds of first-time mothers had problems breastfeeding and found it difficult to get help... "

News - Small Study Suggests Breastfed Infants Show Little Effect When Moms Take Anti-Depressant
"NEW HAVEN, CT -- November 25, 2003 -- Most breastfed infants nurse without showing meaningful effects from their mothers taking 20-40 mg of the anti-depressant fluoxetine (Prozac) daily, according to a study by Yale researchers. Postpartum major depression affects about 10 percent of women. Prozac belongs to a class of anti-depressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which are the most commonly prescribed class of anti-depressants for post-partum depression...."

New Data Show U.S. Breastfeeding Rates at All-Time Recorded High: "Press Release
Source: Abbott LaboratoriesNew Data Show U.S. Breastfeeding Rates at All-Time Recorded High
Tuesday November 25, 8:30 am ET
- But More Support and Programs Needed to Address Lagging Rates for Working Mothers and WIC Participants -
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- U.S. breastfeeding rates have reached their highest recorded levels, according to new data from Abbott Laboratories' Ross Products Division, which has tracked breastfeeding trends since 1954. Abbott's ongoing mail survey of infant feeding trends, the largest of its kind, shows that 70.1 percent of mothers now initiate breastfeeding in the hospital -- up from 54.2 percent a decade ago. Additionally, the data show that 33.2 percent of mothers still are breastfeeding when their babies reach six months of age -- up from 18.9 percent in 1992...." [Hey, we don't need an Ad Council campaign, look, Ross says breastfeeding rates are at an all-time recorded high. (Yes, that is sarcasm!!) - JC]

ic Wales - Breast milk sugars 'protect babies'
Nov 23 2003
"Sugars that occur naturally in breast milk reduce the number of harmful bugs in a baby's stomach. Tests using an infant formula containing a mixture of the compounds were found to dramatically lower levels of bacteria such as E.coli. At the same time the sugars - called oligosaccharides - increased the number of friendly bacteria. They also made the environment in babies' bowels more acidic, which suits 'good' bugs but is unhealthy for 'bad' bugs. Natasha Bye, head of scientific affairs at Milupa, the company making the infant formula, said: 'In terms of providing a protective line of defence, this is very exciting for us. We have achieved a selective increase of good bacteria and a decrease of the nasty ones....'"

'Chick Lit' queen reigns at library

News of Delaware County
By Joe McAllister , CORRESPONDENT
11/19/2003
"Author Jennifer Weiner is experiencing a personal and career vortex where 'worlds collide.' Blue-collar town newspaper reporter, best-selling novelist, broken relationships, soul mate, parenthood, black-tie affairs, 'slumping around in sweat pants,' Cameron Diaz, baby wipes, HBO series, stay-at-home mom, self-described 'dork,' and hot new author - all of this to a girl who says she 'never got the guy.'
The whirling world of Jennifer Weiner (pronounced WHY-NER) stormed the Haverford Township Free Library recently in a rousing kick off of its 'Right to Read' campaign, a literary promotional partnership with the local Rotary Club.
'As part of the Rotary's Centennial Celebration, they chose us to promote literacy and love of literature. Through books, we explore, learn and travel - that should be everybody's right,' says Adeline Ciannella, library director. 'Getting Jennifer was just wonderful. She loves libraries.'
Weiner is the author of 'Good in Bed' and 'In Her Shoes,' best-selling novels that have been optioned into an HBO series a la 'Sex in the City' (with sensibilities) and a major studio movie starring Cameron Diaz.
'Personally, I would give Janeane Garofalo every part,' jokes Weiner, 33, to the attentive crowd in the library basement.
The current reigning queen of 'Chick Lit' talked of life and love, fame and fortune, breast-feeding and '27 hours of unmedicated labor' to a 99.9 percent female audience of adoring fans.
Weiner treated the faithful to a reading from her new book in progress, whose working title is 'Little Earthquakes.' It's a book about her present life situation - new husband, new baby, new parent and the life-altering changes therein.
'I can only read this when my husband Adam is not around,' she says, literally pulling the unedited pages from her purse and reading candidly about 'the first sex after the baby' and 'new parent foreplay.' ..."

Health officials: More women should breast-feed their children
By TAMARIA L. LIDDELL
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
"LANCASTER -- More than half of Fairfield County's low-income new mothers are breast-feeding, but that's not enough, said local health officials. By 2010, state officials hope to increase the total number of all new mothers breast-feeding at birth to 75 percent. To meet this goal, a pilot two-year program will be launched in 11 counties, including Fairfield County. Breast-feeding Peer Helpers will educate mothers about the benefits of breast-feeding. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office on Women's Health, breast milk is the best nutrition for infants and contains more than 200 infection-fighting agents that can't be replicated.... "

Effect of breast feeding on blood pressure may be overestimatedEurekalert.org

"Effect of breast feeding in infancy on blood pressure in later life: systematic review and met-analysis BMJ Volume 327, pp 1189-92
Previous research may have overestimated the beneficial effects of breast feeding on blood pressure in later life, say researchers in this week's BMJ.

Christopher Owen and colleagues reviewed 24 studies to determine whether breast feeding in infancy was associated with lower blood pressure at different ages compared with bottle feeding formula milk. "

Lower DHA Status Linked to Risk of Postpartum DepressionThursday November 20, 5:13 pm ET

COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK - News) commented today on the results of a study conducted at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. The study, published in the journal Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, suggests an association between low levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) after pregnancy and the occurrence of postpartum depression."

Moms Who Nurse Toddlers Say It's Just Natural
theledger.com
Published Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Moms Who Nurse Toddlers Say It's Just Natural
By Rebecca Mahoney
rebecca.mahoney@theledger.com
"Two-and-a-half-year-old Emma Brink goes to preschool, plays with her kittens, spends afternoons with her Grandma -- and enjoys breast-feeding with her mom every day.

For Emma and her mother, Nancy Brink Moses, nursing is a natural, comfortable way to be together.

'It's a wonderful thing,' said the 28-year-old Lakeland mom. 'She is one of my favorite people, and I appreciate this special opportunity to be with her in this very special, very intimate way.'..." [This article is accompanied by a sweet photo of Lewis nursing her two-year-old as her four-year-old looks on. - JC]

Herald Sun: Countess of Wessex was close to death [18nov03]
LONDON
"The Countess of Wessex was said to be minutes from death during the traumatic birth of her daughter last week. Sophie is being kept in hospital for longer than planned to give her a chance to bond with her baby. She was said to be just 20 minutes from death after suffering both internal bleeding and placental abruption - where the placenta peels from the wall of the womb...." [Discusses briefly how a six-day separation could cause problems with breastfeeding (no doubt!) - JC]

Chickenpox Vaccine Okay for Nursing Mothers
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage
Wed 19 November, 2003 00:16
"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The virus that is used in the chickenpox vaccine doesn't seem to enter a mother's breast milk or pass to feeding infants, new research shows. This means that nursing mothers who are susceptible to chickenpox do not need to wait to get the vaccine. Although chickenpox is often thought of as a childhood illness, adults can get it too and usually it is much more serious than in kids..."

Breastfeeding reduces diabetes risk
Friday, 14 November 2003

"STAWELL - The Stawell Group of the Australian Breastfeeding Association is encouraging parents to delay feeding their babies solid foods to mark World Diabetes Day today.
To mark World Diabetes Day 2003 the group has issued a reminder to the community that parents' early feeding choices can prevent diabetes.... "

Couple sues, says authorities overzealous when trying to protect son born at home
Pam Louwagie, Star Tribune
Published November 13, 2003
"As they had with many of their eight other children, Daniel and Karen Mathias chose for Karen to give birth to Gabriel in their Minneapolis home last Christmas. Their call to a hospital the next day seeking advice on the newborn's eating behavior ended with child protection workers phoning, police knocking on their door and what the couple contend was a forced trip to a hospital.... "

The Salt Lake Tribune -- Kirby: Toxic twins: Nuke waste, Mom's milk
Robert Kirby
Tribune Columnist [Jodine notes, a "humour" columnist.]
"

    Nuclear waste and mother's milk have a lot in common these days. Both are naturally occurring substances that finicky people do not want anywhere near a large order of french fries.
    Before rabid environmentalists angrily denounce mother's milk as unnatural, allow me to point out that I am not defending it. After all, if mother's milk were safe for public consumption, wouldn't you be able to order a double tall mom's latte at Starbucks?
    As for radiation, what do you think the sun generates? Granted, it's 93 million miles away but shouldn't that be what we really worry about? After all, when was the last time anyone demanded that babies be slathered in milk block before being nursed? ...
"

Nestle Launches Nestle(R) Good Start(R) Supreme DHA & ARA: "Nestle Launches Nestle(R) Good Start(R) Supreme DHA & ARA
Thursday November 13, 10:00 am ET

First and Only Routine Infant Formula to Combine DHA and ARA for Brain and Eye Development With Comfort Proteins(R) for Easy Digestion and Reduced Potential for Protein Sensitization and Intolerance

GLENDALE, Calif., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestle USA, part of Nestle S.A., a world leader in infant nutrition, announces the launch of Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA. The new formula is now available nationwide and contains two fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid, also known as DHA and ARA, that are naturally found in breastmilk and have been linked with improved brain and visual development in babies. In addition to including one of the highest levels of DHA and ARA available in the United States, Nestle Good Start Supreme DHA & ARA is the only routine formula to combine the benefits of DHA and ARA with easy-to-digest Comfort Proteins® that are designed to be gentle on a baby's developing digestive system and reduce the potential for babies to develop protein sensitization and intolerance.... Although healthy, full-term babies make their own DHA and ARA from the nutrients found in standard infant formula, recent studies suggest there may be benefits from direct supplementation of formula with DHA and ARA...."

deseretnews.com | Breast-feeding mom has law on her side
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
By Laura Warner
Deseret Morning News

      "If Catherine Geary could have it her way, she would rewrite Burger King's training manuals to include a section on breast-feeding. Though hamburgers and lactation seem like an odd combination, they are unfortunately connected in Geary's mind after an incident at a Sandy Burger King last weekend.
      'It really wasn't a big thing. It was just kind of humiliating,' Geary said. 'Everybody had turned to look at me. The kids all stopped playing and stared at me to see what I had done wrong.'
..."

NBC 4 - News - Mom Convicted In Drug-Related Death Of Baby Loses Civil Suit: "Mom Convicted In Drug-Related Death Of Baby Loses Civil Suit

Son Likely Poisoned By Meth-Tainted Breast Milk

POSTED: 12:52 p.m. PST November 11, 2003
LOS ANGELES -- A mother convicted of the methamphetamine-induced death of her baby son lost her federal civil rights lawsuit against Riverside County law enforcement officials.

Amy Leanne Prien of Mead Valley contended in her suit that Riverside County's district attorney, sheriff and their subordinates framed her with false evidence and violated her right to a speedy trial.

Prien's $20 million federal suit, filed in April, said prosecutors coerced false testimony and dragged their feet to bring the case to trial"

Hospital's breastfeeding honour - Evening Times
Newsquest (Herald & Times) Limited.

" THE newest maternity hospital in Glasgow has won a prestigious award from Unicef for its work in promoting breastfeeding.
The Princess Royal Maternity Hospital at Glasgow Royal Infirm-ary has passed the standards set down in the charity's Baby Friendly accreditation scheme, just two years after opening. ..."

Israel News : Jerusalem Post Internet Edition: "German police questions Humana employee

Judy Siegel-Itzkovich
Nov. 10, 2003

A femaile employee at German food manufacturer Humana is under investigation for manslaughter by negligence, German public prosecutors announced Wednesday.

Imported locally by Israeli company and H. J. Heinz Co. subsidiary Remedia Ltd., the kosher soy-based milk substitute likely caused the deaths of at least two Israeli babies, and serious nerve damage to some 15 others.

Other employees at Humana Milchunion's plant in Everswinkel, Germany are also likely to be questioned, as manufacturing involves a variety of sections within the plant. ..."

Going with the Flow: A prominent gynecologist offers a simple solution to the problem of adopting a child
Egypt Today
Manl el-Jesri

"You want to adopt an orphan, but are prevented by Islamic law from giving it the full rights of any other family member, right? Well, maybe not. Provided the child is young enough, science and Al-Azhar may have an answer: A simple breast pump...."

WorldNetDaily: Breast-feeding as religion 
Commentary
Breast-feeding as religion
Posted: November 11, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 Creators Syndicate, Inc.

"One of the phenomena of our time is the passion surrounding breast-feeding. In Norway, for instance, it is now illegal to advertise baby formula. And America is probably not far behind. Whenever I raise this issue on my radio show, merely saying that bottle-feeding is OK renders me a villain in the eyes of many listeners.

The religious-like fervor for breast-feeding and loathing of bottle-feeding need to be explained. I acknowledge having no scientific basis on which to challenge the many scientific studies that point to the health benefits of breast-feeding %u2013 such as fewer infant infections, fewer early allergies, getting the mother's antibodies, and so on. I do, however, believe that in a health-conscious home, these benefits are negligible...." [Save us from this common-sense trumps science attitude. - JC]

New Study Indicates Martek's Omega-3 DHA Reduces Heart Disease Risk Factors
Monday November 10, 4:45 pm ET

"Data Show Increased Levels of 'Good' Cholesterol, Decreased Levels Of Triglycerides and a Beneficial Shift in 'Bad' Cholesterol

ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Researchers presented results today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions suggesting that 1,000 mg of DHA omega-3 fatty acid daily can favorably impact lipids and reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy adults. The study was designed to investigate the cardiovascular benefits associated with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and used Neuromins® DHA, manufactured by Martek Biosciences (Nasdaq: MATK - News), which comes from a natural vegetarian source and is free of contaminants that may be found in fish...."

Firms urged to give breast treatment to new mothers

"Nearly eight in ten health and safety workers in UK firms are confused over whether women are allowed to breastfeed at work, according to new research. The study, conducted by business information providers Croner, found that just 23 per cent of those questioned were fully aware of the legal requirements surrounding the issue - putting many companies at risk of legal action under the Sex Discrimination Act. Croner said that it has received a large increase of queries to its helpline on the subject since the case of former RAF engineer Helen Williams, who took her employer to court last year after they refused to let her take breastfeeding breaks...."

Heinz investigating formula linked to sick Israeli babies - 2003-11-10 - Pittsburgh Business Times: "1:45 PM EST Monday

"H. J. Heinz Co. said its senior executives have been in consultation 'around the clock' with managers of Remedia Ltd., an Israel food company of which Heinz owns 51 percent, regarding the recall of a kosher infant formula. Three infant deaths and the hospitalization of 10 babies were linked to the soy-based formula, Israel's Health Ministry said Nov. 9... "

When Mum and Baby are Miles ApartScotsman.com News
By Lisa Salmon, PA Features

"All new mothers expect to be with their baby immediately after the birth, or at least very soon after.

But that has not happened for the Countess of Wessex, who was separated from her daughter just after the baby was born a month prematurely.

The Countess is now in a Surrey hospital recovering from an emergency Caesarean, while her 4lb 9oz premature daughter is in a specialist baby unit at a London hospital, and doctors say they will be apart for at least another three days.

The separation from her first child is likely to be traumatic for the Countess, says Sue Macdonald of the Royal College of Midwives...."

Lack of B1 behind deaths; Mossad joins probe
Israel News : Jerusalem Post Internet Edition
Nov. 10, 2003
By JUDY SIEGEL

"The deaths in recent weeks of three infants from neurological and cardiological disorders were due to them having been fed non-dairy Remedia baby formula that completely lacked vitamin B1 (thiamine), the Health Ministry announced on Sunday.

After lab tests confirmed the absence of the vitamin, the ministry asked the parents of all babies fed with this line of soy-based formula during the last two months to see their pediatricians who, if necessary, can administer the vitamin.

The Mossad and Shin Bet secret service agencies have joined the investigation of the faulty baby formula, a Health Ministry spokesman said Monday.

The director general of the ministry, Boaz Lev, raised the possibility of sabotage to the kosher soy-based milk substitute, saying 'it is impossible to know if this is intentional or not.' "..."

State urging moms to breast-feed


ANNE T. DENOGEAN
Tucson Citizen
November 10, 2003
"As part of an effort to get mothers to breast-feed exclusively for the first 12 months of their baby's life, the state health department recently launched a campaign to encourage workplace support of breast-feeding.

'The No. 1 reason women give for quitting breast-feeding is they have to go back to work,' said Anne Whitmire, nutrition services and training manager for the department's Women Infants and Children/Commodity and Supplemental Food Program."..."

Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Kosher Baby Milk Formula in Israeli Deaths Link: "6:20pm (UK)
Kosher Baby Milk Formula in Israeli Deaths Link

By AP Reporter


An Israeli company partly owned by American food giant Heinz has recalled a kosher infant formula after three babies died of nervous disorders and 10 others were hospitalised.

The announcement by Remedia Ltd set off a wave of hysteria, and prompted a special religious ruling allowing the notification of ultra-Orthodox Jews on the Sabbath.

The recall also affected Orthodox Jewish communities in the United States where the soy-based formula is sold.

Remedia, whose baby products are found in virtually every Israeli supermarket, said it had slightly altered the makeup of the formula in June to bring it into %u201Caccordance with the scientific developments in the field%u201D.

"

Health Ministry Calling for b1 Shots for Remedia Babies
Arutz Sheva - Israel National News
17:52 Nov 09, '03 / 14 Cheshvan 5764
"(IsraelNN.com) According to information released by Health Ministry officials today, the Remedia soy-based infant formula is lacking in b1 (thiamine) despite it being listed on the ingredients...."

The Salt Lake Tribune -- Breast milk ad pulled despite good intent
By Michael N. Westley
The Salt Lake Tribune

One man asked if it came in chocolate. Another asked if he could buy an endless supply to use as a protein drink. Health care officials were alerted and questions raised. And, in the end, a 23-year-old Salt Lake City woman who placed an ad in The Salt Lake Tribune to sell her extra breast milk decided to withdraw her offer...."

News - AAP: Breastfeeding Status and Mother-Infant Separation Are Independent Predictors of Maternal Maltreatment
"By Jill Taylor
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- November 7, 2003 -- Breastfeeding and mother-infant contact appear to have a protective influence on subsequent child abuse and neglect, according a new study presented here on November 3rd at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition.

In both human and animal studies, breastfeeding is associated with blunted maternal stress reactivity and reduced levels of maternal anxiety. Conversely, prolonged maternal separation appears to have an inverse effect...."

Modeling prowess milked in formula ads : "Modeling prowess milked in formula ads
November 7, 2003
BY LEWIS LAZARE SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

"Some new moms may be a bit envious of how great fellow new mom Brooke Shields looks in two new television spots for infant formula Bright Beginnings.

But lest we forget, Shields did do time as a fashion model, so she knows something about how to present herself...."

EPA will phase out flame retardant chemical found in breast milk
"By SARA SHIPLEY
Post-Dispatch
11/06/2003

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving to phase out some toxic flame-retardant chemicals that have shown up in high levels in the breast milk of American women, including one in Missouri. The EPA announced this week that a major manufacturer of two widely used brominated flame retardants would phase out their production by the end of next year because of health concerns. Great Lakes Chemical Corp. of West Lafayette, Ind., will replace the chemicals, known as Penta and Octa, with a product deemed to be safer. "

Health Ministry suspects soy-based product led to babies' brain damage
Haaretz - Article
Last Update: 07/11/2003 20:40
By Ran Reznick, Haaretz Correspondent

"The Health Ministry called Friday for the immediate
halt in use of Remedia soy-based baby food, after
ministry officials viewed initial findings of an
investigation on the recent hospitalization of a
number of babies who suffered brain damage.



Ministry tests found that six
babies hospitalized recently
with brain damage had been
fed Remedia's soy-based
product, and therefore the
ministry ordered that the
product be pulled from store
shelves by Sunday.

"

Daily Vanguard - Thousands of chemicals approved without safety testing" European officials vote to adopt toughter standards on U.S. products
Tom Avril
November 05, 2003

Without requiring lab tests to determine their safety, the U.S. government has approved thousands of chemicals for use in such products as sofa cushions, soaps, paints and baby bottles. On average, two more chemicals are approved every day. The result: consumers are unwittingly part of a kind of vast, uncontrolled lab experiment. 'We're treating (people) worse than lab rats,' Karen Florini, an attorney with the non-profit group Environmental Defense said. 'At least with lab rats, somebody bothers to collect the data.'"

Queen Mother%u2019s closure threat to breastmilk bank

The Glasgow Herald
HELEN PUTTICK, Health Correspondent
November 04 2003
" Breast milk will have to be relayed across Glasgow if the Queen Mother's maternity hospital closes or sick babies could suffer, specialists said yesterday. Fears the city will lose its 'life saving' breastmilk bank - which supplies parents who have trouble suckling - have also been raised."

HeraldNet: Breast-feeding gains acceptance in workplace
Published: Tuesday, November 4, 2003
Breast-feeding gains acceptance in workplace
By Samantha Critchell
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A decade ago, most business executives -- both male and female -- thought new mothers who chose to continue breast-feeding once they returned to work were doing 'a nice thing' -- as long as they didn't talk about it at the office, said Carol Ann Friedman, an international board-certified lactation consultant.

Times have changed. "

New borns' skin-to-skin contact vital: research - National - smh.com.au"
November 3, 2003 - 1:23PM

Babies should have at least an hour of skin-to-skin contact with their mothers at birth to cut down on breastfeeding problems, yet many midwives separate them too early, research suggests.

Midwife Ruth Cantrill questioned 1,105 midwives throughout Australia to study their knowledge of newborn feeding practices and their ability in managing the first breastfeed. "

WBKO | Is It OK to Breastfeed in Public?: " Daniel K. Hoh
WBKO
"When feeding your baby, the medical community agrees breast is best. Nursing behind closed doors is one thing, but how do you feel about mothers nursing in public?

That was the question posed by an AOL-Parenting magazine survey recently. They apparently hit a hot button as 13,000 people responded within only a few days. Seventy-three percent said breastfeeding in public was OK for mothers to do."

Newsday.com - EPA: Company to Phase Out Flame Retardants
"By Associated Press
November 3, 2003, 6:49 PM EST
WASHINGTON -- An Indiana company has agreed to cease production voluntarily of two widely used flame-retardant chemicals by the end of 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

EPA said the Great Lakes Chemical Corp., of West Lafayette, Ind., will stop making Penta and Octa and quickly shift to safer alternatives. The chemicals are PBDEs -- polybrominated diphenyl ethers -- commonly used in upholstery, electronics and other foam and plastic products. "

The little search engine that could - www.theage.com.au[An excerpt from a feature article on Google, the company that makes the Internet's most popular search engine - JC] "And the Googleplex is nothing like the old garage. The company today promotes itself as having a tremendous work environment. It offers benefits, such as three months paid maternity leave (plus $US50 a day to spend on Waiters On Wheels for the first two weeks that you are home with your new baby), discounts at creches, on-site dental care and a daily dry-cleaning service for employees' clothes. "

Mother sentenced to life for infant's overdose on methamphetamine
"10/31/2003 3:32 PM
By: Associated Press

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) -- A California woman has been sentenced to life in prison in the death of her baby, who overdosed on methamphetamine. Prosecutors say the baby ingested the drug either from the mother's breast milk or from tainted bottle liners that were used to package the drug in the woman's home."

FDA Official: No Need for Labels on Cloned Products
"By James Gerstenzang, Times Staff Writer
WASHINGTON - A senior official of the Food and Drug Administration said today that he saw no reason to place special labels on milk and meat from cloned animals if those products reach grocery shelves. The comment on labeling added a second controversial element to the FDA's announcement today that an advisory panel had found no health reasons to keep cloned animals and their milk out of the nation's food supply, though it wanted to review more data."

Baby food, breast milk may contain trans fat
[ This is part of a series running on CTV News and in the Globe and Mail. - JC]

CTV News: Avis Favaro finds children under age two may be most vulnerable to trans fat 

"Consumers are going to start getting more details on the levels of trans fat in the foods we love, with new nutritional labelling that goes into effect in just over two years. But many nutrition experts are angry that foods made for children under the age of two will not have to comply with the new labelling rules.

Many studies have found a link between trans fat and heart disease. Canadians already ingest large amounts of trans through hydrogenated oils found in cookies, chips and baked goods. But many parents may not realize they're feeding the potentially dangerous substance to their babies.

That has infant nutrition advocate Elizabeth Sterken of INFACT Canada angry.

'Even in these baby foods, we see partially hydrogenated fats,' Sterken says, holding up a package of infant cereal. 'Trans fatty"

EOC confirms mothers' breastfeeding rights

Published: 30 Oct 2003

"The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) is seeking to correct this week's media claim that mothers have lost their right to breastfeed at work.

The claim relates to the case of RAF flight lieutenant Helen Williams, who lost her case for breastfeeding her baby at work at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. "

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Breast Milk Bank Provides Hope for Hiv Babies
October 28, 2003
Johannesburg
"Orphaned babies, many of whom are HIV-positive, are getting more than basic love and shelter at a home in South Africa's port city of Durban. They are also receiving the gift of immune-boosting breast milk donated by a network of mothers in the city.
The mothers voluntarily express the milk their own babies do not need, and it is then collected and taken to iThembaLethu, meaning 'I have a destiny' in isiZulu, a transitional home for babies who have been orphaned or abandoned through HIV/AIDS. Not all have the HI virus, but most are very neglected and malnourished when they arrive."

Science Blog - Premature babies benefit from breast milk"Infants fed human milk fortified-in-hospital developed comparably to those fed infant formula

Oct. 29, 2003 -- Premature infants fed breast milk made developmental gains equal to or greater than those fed formula specially designed for low-birth-weight infants, an international study finds.

'Definitely, appropriately fortified breast milk is the feeding of choice for these premature, low-birth-weight babies,' says U of T nutritional sciences professor Deborah O'Connor, lead author of a study by Canadian, U.S., U.K. and Chilean researchers in the October Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

"

Breast-feeding becoming water cooler topic : "Breast-feeding becoming water cooler topic
Wednesday, October 29, 2003 - 12:00 AM
Samantha Critchell ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
"A decade ago, most business executives -- both male and female -- thought new mothers who chose to continue breast-feeding once they returned to work were doing 'a nice thing' -- as long as they didn't talk about it at the office, says Carol Ann Friedman, an international board-certified lactation consultant.

Times have changed.

Friedman now runs Mothers at Work breast-feeding programs at 24 large U.S. corporations, including Toyota Motor Sales Corp. and Prudential Financial, and she says the high-tech world has been particularly receptive to corporate lactation programs."

"BREAST-FEEDING FIGHT AFTER TRIBUNAL RULING :
10:30 - 29 October 2003
Lincolnshire Echo
"A working mother has just lost her fight to breast-feed her infant while working at a Lincolnshire air base. Ben Rooth asked mothers and business people about why they felt it was so essential that women should be allowed to breast feed at work or in public. For many women breast feeding is the most natural thing in the world. It's just that other people who inhabit that same world don't agree. Some people simply don't want to see a new-born baby being breast-fed in a public place."

Dangerous fats lurk in seemingly healthy snacksThe Globe and Mail, October 23, 2003

"Mornings often seem like the most hectic part of the day for Maureen deBarra, as she rushes to get her three daughters off to school."There are a million things to do," the 39-year-old Toronto mother said . So, to save time, she has relied on a lot of prepackaged foods for her kids' lunches.......But, as it turns out, a lot of prepared foods -- including granola bars, microwave popcorn, crackers and cookies -- are loaded with unhealthy, artificially altered fats called trans fatty acids. Also known as hydrogenated vegetable oil, trans fats make pastries flaky and cookies fresh tasting -- yet they can be extremely bad for your health... a growing body of medical evidence indicates that trans fats can clog arteries and lead to premature heart disease -- just like saturated fats from meat and dairy products....However, what has some researchers really worried are the long-term consequences of a generation raised on trans fats. It's even getting into breast milk through mothers' diets...." [I'm not sure what's more disturbing, a mom who packs chocolate bars and chips in her kids' lunches, or the idea that trans fats are in breastmilk - JC]

Ananova - Fresh hearing into lieutenant's breastfeeding claim "
Ananova.com
An RAF lieutenant who is challenging the Ministry of Defence over breastfeeding at work is to have her case reheard. Helen Williams, 31, from Bristol, is to have a fresh hearing into her claim that the MoD sexually discriminated against her by making it impossible to breastfeed her baby daughter at work. A ruling on her claim could affect thousands of women hoping to breastfeed once they return to work either by taking time out to feed their babies or to express milk."

: Enzymotec and Nics Corporation signs on exclusive agreement
Food Ingredients First
October 2003
Enzymotec Ltd., Israel has signed an exclusive agreement with Nics Corporation Ltd., Korea. According to this agreement, Nics will exclusively market InFat, to the dairy and infant formula markets in Korea. This is the second agreement for Enzymotec in the Korean market and part of its global effort to establish itself as a science driven producer of advanced bio-functional ingredients for the functional foods and nutraceuticals industries."

USATODAY.com - Flame retardants may be phased out
By Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
"The Environmental Protection Agency is negotiating with a U.S. chemical manufacturer to phase out two toxic chemicals used as flame retardants. The chemicals have been found in potentially harmful levels in human breast milk, and recent widely reported studies found that U.S. mothers had levels 10 to 20 times higher than mothers in Europe."

"Mothers lose right to breastfeed children at work
By Robert Verkaik, Legal Affairs Correspondent
27 October 2003
The Independent
"Thousands of mothers have lost the right to breastfeed at work after an employment appeal tribunal ruled that women have no legal protection when they return to their employment after their statutory maternity period. The ruling reverses a previous decision that gave mothers the right to claim sex discrimination if employers failed to make proper provision for breastfeeding at work. In a judgment seen by The Independent but not yet published, Helen Williams, 31, a flight lieutenant with the RAF, has been told that her landmark victory last year cannot stand. Mrs Williams fell pregnant in January 2000 but was told that if she wished to continue to breastfeed beyond her maternity leave period she should take unpaid maternity leave. The RAF guidance on maternity arrangements also made clear that breastfeeding could not interfere with a servicewoman's operational duties."

STUFF : HEALTH - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website: "Making a mountain out of a nipple? Health groups create a fizz
26 October 2003
By ANNA CHALMERS
Nipples or mountains? It's a question that has health groups fizzing over beer advertising which they say is irresponsible. Health groups say breweries are producing more aggressive, and often offensive, ad campaigns as they fight to capture dwindling numbers of beer drinkers. Billboards for Waikato Draught and a radio station promotion giving away a year's supply of beer to an 18-year-old have the Alcohol Advisory Board (ALAC) concerned. ALAC acting chief executive Paula Snowden will contact the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) about its recent rejection of two Waikato Draught billboard complaints. Last week the industry watchdog ruled a Hamilton billboard featuring two raised circular shapes with the slogan: 'Winter. It's outstanding', did not break advertising codes. "

Revealed: UK mums milk second most toxic in world
Survey shows chemicals from everyday products are poisoning breast milk
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor
Sunday Herald
"Toxic contamination of mother's breast milk in Britain is among the highest in the world, a new survey by scientists has revealed.

Concentrations of chemical flame retardants, suspected of damaging brain development and causing cancer, are higher in the UK than in Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Canada. Scientists say the levels are "a real cause for concern", while environmentalists describe them as "shocking" and "extremely worrying"."

Breastfeeding bill heard
By Michael Kunzelman / News Staff Writer Friday, October 24, 2003
BOSTON -- Virginia Schnee didn't hesitate to breast feed her daughter during an assembly at her son's Auburn elementary school in June.

A day later, however, Schnee fielded a phone call from her son's principal, who told her she shouldn't nurse her daughter the next time she visited the school.

'I was so shocked I didn't know what to say,' Schnee recalled. 'My husband and I are still trying to figure out what recourse we have."

Growth of 30 percent Chinese babies impaired by lack of breast: "Growth of 30 percent Chinese babies impaired by lack of breast
( 2003-10-21 10:07) (people.com)
"Thirty percent of Chinese women are unable to breast feed their babies for various reasons, which impairs the normal growth of their infants at the same percentage, said Ding Zongyi, a celebrated Chinese professor on baby medical science, on Monday. Heavy workload and life pressures or physical conditions, including the lack of milk, were major reasons leading to young mothers' failure to breast feed, Ding said. "

Boston.com / Latest News / Northeast / Court decision may change vote on anti-gay marriage amendment
By Jennifer Peter, Associated Press, 10/22/2003 17:24
"BOSTON (AP) As gay advocates prepared for the first-ever Statehouse hearing on legalizing same-sex marriages, key lobbyists said Wednesday that legislative support could be building for a bill that would do the exact opposite. The House and Senate are scheduled to meet in joint session Nov. 12 to consider a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between one man and one woman an initiative that was defeated last year by more than half of the state's 200 lawmakers. But an impending decision by the state's highest court, which many believe could set a national precedent on the legalization of gay marriage, may be shaking up the Legislature, according to Arline Isaacson of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. ''Legislatures are very nervous about this because of the (Supreme Judicial Court) decision,'' Isaacson said. ''It could change everything. It makes it less abstract.'' The Judiciary Committee is holding a public hearing Thursday on legislative initiatives to legalize gay marriage and civil union, as well as several other hot-button social issues, including abortion restrictions, assisted suicide and breast-feeding in public. [wow, breastfeeding in public is a hot button issue right along side assisted suicide and legalizing gay marriage... who knew?! - JC]

Food Navigator - Ingredients, Food Additives & Nutrition (fibers, proteins, enzymes, food safety, science, ingredients): "Infant formula - does it really cause obesity?
"A major trial on European children is to examine how early childhood diet can reduce the risk of obesity in later life. The findings could lead to development of new infant foods and reformulating of protein contents.

Obesity is increasing steadily among European children, causing concern for the serious consequences seen in adulthood. Nutrients supplied during infancy are thought to have a lasting, programming effect on later obesity risk. There has also been some evidence to show that infants fed formula milk are more likely to become obese than breastfed infants although two studies published last week appeared to disprove this theory.

However researchers on the Chopin project, funded by the EU Framework, point to evidence showing that longer duration of breastfeeding has a marked effect on reducing later obesity risk. One hypothesised reason for this, to be tested in the new trial, is the relative higher protein content of some infant formulae compared with breast milk. ..."

Scoop: CTU Biennial Conference 2003
"CTU Biennial Conference 2003
Friday, 24 October 2003, 8:52 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions

Biennial Conference 2003
Summary of discussion
Work-life Balance
Introduction

In 2002 the CTU released the Thirty Families Report as part of the CTU's wider Get a Life! campaign. It highlighted that work hours was a significant issue for many workers, their families and communities. Since then the CTU has identified the need to build on the Thirty Families report by exploring other areas of work-life balance that are of critical importance to workers and develop organising and campaign activities that can contribute to improving work-life balance for workers." [ References legislation to require breastfeeding work breaks. - JC]

NEWS.com.au | Right won to breastfeed in bar (October 22, 2003)"A mother has won the right to breastfeed her baby in a public bar after a club manager who threw her out was found guilty of discrimination. The Territory club was ordered to pay a $500 donation to Breast Feeding Australia after it was found guilty by the Anti-Discrimination Commission. The club has also been made to post notices advising patrons it was illegal to discriminate against mothers and that breastfeeding would be allowed in the bar... "

Norway Leads Industrial Nations Back to Breast-Feeding"
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ
Published: October 21, 2003
New York Times International
OSLO - Norway has revolutionized a woman's right to breast-feed

Mothers breast-feed when and where they want: buses, parks, cafes, stores. With rare exceptions, none leave the hospital without breast-feeding or dare ask for infant formula as a substitute. For trouble at home, the phone book obligingly lists a company called Breast-Feeding Help.

Working mothers also get a break: two hours off a day to breast-feed their child at home or in the office. Breast-feeding at the desk is not off limits." [You may need a (free) account to view this item - JC]

Study: Women Bear Brunt of Environmental Toxins: "Study: Women Bear Brunt of Environmental Toxins

Run Date: 10/21/03

By Rebecca Vesely
WeNews correspondent


A California study calls for further investigation into how environmental toxins affect women's health. It estimates the health care cost of U.S. women's environmentally associated diseases is $12.2 billion annually.





SAN FRANCISCO (WOMENSENEWS)--The push to link environmental safety to women's rights gained research footing last week with the release of a new report called Confronting Toxic Contamination in Our Communities: Women's Health and California's Future.




Released by the Women's Foundation of California, a grant-making organization based in San Francisco, the report on contaminants and women's health focuses on how women's biology and role in society makes them bear the brunt of environmental toxins."

WNV/breastfeeding riskEDITOR'S NOTE: The Randall County woman mentioned in this story wished
to remain anonymous
By PATRICIA GARDNER
Canyon News staff
While the threat of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus is easing, there still are questions concerning the level of risk for some people, including new moms.
WNV remains a major health issue in the United States and is certainly prevalent in Randall County, said Dr. J. Rush Pierce, health authority for Potter and Randall counties.
He said great emphasis has been put on the elderly, who are at high risk if they contract the disease, but little has been documented about the effects on the young or pregnant. A young mother in Randall County who is 26 weeks pregnant also has a 1½-year-old child and has been positively diagnosed with WNV by the Centers for Disease Control. Ann has a mild case of WNV. She is concerned about the possibility of her unborn child contracting the disease or having side effects from her infection. Also at question is whether her toddler was infected at the same time and could be affected. Pierce said there is little documented information about nursing or pregnant mothers or young children and their involvement with WNV. "As a matter of fact, only four cases have been documented concerning transmission to infants, and three were connected to breast milk," he said." [Note: I can only find referenes to a single case of possible WNV transmission via breastmilk - JC]

Yahoo! News - Growth of 30 percent Chinese babies impaired by lack of breast milk: "BEIJING (AFP) - Thirty percent of Chinese babies experience impaired growth because their mothers are unable to breastfeed them, state media reported.
Some women face harsh physical conditions, making them unable to produce breast milk, while others are simply too busy working to breastfeed their babies, Xinhua news agency said on Monday, citing medical expert Ding Zongyi. "

Food Ingredients First: Nutrition, Ingredients and Foods Online - Newsmaker: "Nutrinia developing infant formula similar to mother`s milk - 20/10/2003 Nutrinia is developing infant formula containing insulin with the same bioavailability and potency as the insulin contained only in mother`s milk. The Israeli company has been founded by a prominent Israeli-Arab physician, Shehadeh. Shehadeh is a prominent pediatric diabetes researcher whose decade long clinical research work give the idea for the company`s proprietary technology. "

Hello again, email subscribers!

For several months the email subscription system, powered by Bloglet, was broken. This means you haven't been getting regular updates for news on this web site.

I finally figured out to fix it this morning and you should begin receiving posts again. If you have decided you do not want to receive these emails, just head to the Bloglet web site http://www.bloglet.com and unsubscribe. If you can't remember how to do this, drop me a line at jchase@mediaworkswest.com and I'll remove you manually.

Welcome back,

-- Jodine

"Breast-feeding may not be guarantee against obesity - 'No clear impact': One study tracks 2,250 boys from birth to militaryAllan Woods, National Post, Friday, October 17, 2003
"Two new studies have cast doubt on the long-held belief that breast-feeding can help prevent obesity in children.. Molly Bascom-Keller, 31, breast-feeds her one-year-old son, Carson. Brazilian and British researchers say breast-feeding cannot stop children from getting fat."

New Zealand News - NZ - Mum fears breastfeeding policy puts babies at risk
17.10.2003
"A Christchurch mother fears staunch pro-breastfeeding policies at maternity hospitals may be putting some newborn babies at risk. Wendy Stolzenberger's now three-week-old baby was rushed to Christchurch Women's Hospital's high dependency unit this month after becoming dehydrated and hypothermic and losing 20 per cent of his body weight." [Note - the hospital in question has Baby Friendly status. - JC]

Herald Sun: Kate's feed makes TV history [19sep03]

"COMEDIAN Kate Langbroek made television history when she became the first celebrity to breastfeed live on TV. But Langbroek's late-night 'TV snack' on The Panel sparked controversy yesterday. Equal Opportunity Commissioner Diane Sisely applauded Langbroek for claiming her right to breastfeed in her workplace. "

New Zealand News - Dialogue - Barbara Sumner Burstyn: Pushy parents willingly in hands of product marketers: "One even declares the formula will give your child the mind of a scientist. Desperate for that IQ edge, parents believe it. The companies marketing the new superbaby formulas are seeing their share prices skyrocket as new mothers choose the additive formulas over breastfeeding. All this despite the fact that all the clinical trials done so far have been financed by either the company that produces the additives or the formula-makers themselves. "

Herald Sun: New evidence breast is best [14sep03]: "New evidence breast is best
By LINCOLN WRIGHT
14sep03

BREASTFEEDING mothers contribute more than $2 billion to the nation each year, research shows.

An economist wants mothers' milk to be included in the nation's growth figures.

Dr Julie Smith, of the Australian National University in Canberra, has estimated mothers produce more than $2 billion a year in breast milk. "

Ivanhoe's Medical Breakthroughs - Benefit of Formula Additives Questioned

Mom Guilty of Murder in Infant's Meth Death
"By Lance Pugmire and Janet Wilson, Times Staff Writers
Convinced Amy Leanne Prien loved drugs more than her baby, a Riverside County jury on Monday convicted the mother of four of murdering her son with a lethal dose of methamphetamine that he may have ingested through her drug-tainted breast milk." [Provides more detail on the case - JC]

STLtoday - business"...Within two or three hours of launching our product at the trade show, we were cornered by neonatal dietitians, asking us, does it work in breast milk,' Holahan said. Enzymes in human breast milk break down competing thickeners, the dietitians said. They were eager for an alternative. Holahan's wife, Sarah, was working the fair. She routinely expressed milk for their six-month-old daughter, Nicole, so that her husband could share in feeding the baby. When the couple got home, she agreed that he could experiment with the bottle in the refrigerator. He stirred in some Simply Thick, left it in the refrigerator all night and put it in an insulated lunch bag the next morning for the second day of the show. When the dietitians discovered that the thickened milk had remained stable in the refrigerator, 'they were astounded,' Holahan said. "

Changing Plans (washingtonpost.com) Birth Plans Can Help Pregnant Women Prepare for Delivery -- but Not Control It
By Alison Buckholtz
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, September 9, 2003; Page HE01" [This is an interesting article about the prevelence of birth plans and concerns that they may replace consultation with medical professionals. It only touches on breastfeeding. - JC]

CNN.com - Mom convicted of killing baby with drug-tainted breast milk - Sep. 9, 2003Tuesday, September 9, 2003 Posted: 8:35 PM EDT (0035 GMT) -- RIVERSIDE, California (AP) -- A woman whose baby overdosed on methamphetamine contained in the mother's breast milk was convicted of murder. "

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Wolds find proves medieval babies stayed healthy for longer on mother's milk

"Martin Wainwright
Saturday August 23, 2003
The Guardian

A study of infant bones from a deserted medieval village has given backing to the ancient nursing nostrum that "breast is best".

Evidence from Wharram Percy in the Yorkshire Wolds, abandoned when almost everyone was killed by the Black Death, shows that unweaned children were as healthy as their modern counterparts. "

CoverStory: "The Sacred Role Of Nursing Mothers

Lynne Schreiber
AUGUST 08, 2003


One Yom Kippur eve long ago in the city of Berditchev in what's now Ukraine, a congregation awaited the arrival of Rav Levi Yitzchak. As the hour grew late, they held up Kol Nidrei for the rabbi's arrival.




They didn't know that the rabbi was in a small hut, rocking and soothing a crying baby. He had been passing by on his way to shul when he heard the infant's loud wails. The door was locked, so the rabbi climbed in the window. 'The mother is unaware that tending to a baby takes precedence over davening, even on Yom Kippur,' the rabbi reasoned."

ClickOnDetroit.com - News - Woman Allegedly Harassed For Breast-Feeding At Taco Bell:

POSTED: 7:36 p.m. EDT July 14, 2003
A local mother said nursing her baby sent a Southfield Taco Bell manager into a frenzy, Local 4 reported."

CBC Saskatchewan: "
Breast milk bank demanded

REGINA - The Breastfeeding Committee for Saskatchewan is lobbying for human milk banks in the province, saying there's a demand for hospitals to offer the service to mothers and their babies.

The Committee also wants the milk banks so women have an alternative to formula."

"Support Crucial for Breastfeeding Mom



(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research adds to the growing body of literature that suggests support and encouragement from health care providers is needed to keep women breastfeeding for a longer time.

The current breastfeeding rates fall short of the goals set in the Healthy People 2010 and other national recommendations. Currently, 29 percent of moms are still breastfeeding when their infant is 6 months old. The goal is to raise that number to 50 percent. Researchers from Harvard Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship Program conducted a study to determine why women decide to stop breastfeeding before their infant is 12 weeks old."

A bold effort to get mums to breastfeed - JULY 12, 2003: "
A bold effort to get mums to breastfeed

Poster, designed for maximum impact, will be given to polyclinics, hospitals and shopping centres for their nursing rooms

By Wendy Tan and Fiona Chan

A GRAPHIC poster featuring a pair of babies suckling on their mother's breasts will be used to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week next month.

The mother, her breasts engorged, bends over the babies."

Dr. Koop-Support Crucial for Breastfeeding Mom: "Support Crucial for Breastfeeding Mom



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NPIcenter - Natural Products Industry Center News Nutraceutical Regulatory Information: "Posted: 7/7/2003


Global Experts Converge at IFT: Cognis Unveils Innovative Natural Ingredients and Solutions to Enhance Health Benefits of Foods and Beverages












July 1, 2003, LaGrange, IL%u2014Cognis Nutrition and Health, a global leader in concept-driven solutions and natural ingredients for the food industry, will unveil a range of innovative, health-enhancing products and services at The Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Chicago beginning July 12."

Blood pressure and bottle feeding: "Blood pressure and bottle feeding
(Monday, 7th July 2003)

Link between BP and diet in babyhood?

Further evidence that nutrition in the early months of life may affect blood pressure (BP) measurements in adulthood has been published by researchers from the UK.

Richard Martin and his team, from the Universities of Bristol and Wales, followed-up participants in the Barry Caerphilly Growth Study, born in the years 1972 to 1974, who were currently in their twenties. As babies, half had been given extra supplements of dried formula milk (based on cows' milk), while the other half had breastfed or formula fed according to their mothers' preference. In the early 1970s, breastfeeding was not fashionable and large numbers of babies were formula fed. "

Mother sues Wal-Mart over infant formula - 2003-06-18 - The Business Review (Albany): "June 18, 2003
Mother sues Wal-Mart over infant formula
Eric Durr
The Business Review

A Clifton Park woman is suing Wal-Mart for $12 million, alleging that the pharmacy at the company's Half Moon store misfilled a doctor's prescription for special infant formula, defrauding the government and endangering the health of her children.

The lawsuit, filed June 16 in Supreme Court in Saratoga County, is seeking personal injury and punitive damages from the nation's largest retailer, said Charlene Fallon, a partner in the Albany, N.Y., and Glens Falls firm Linnan & Fallon LLP, which filed the suit.

Wal-Mart representatives had no immediate comment on the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Lisa Coons, the mother of prematurely born twins Hunter Coons and Chloe Coons, was directed by her doctor to obtain a special infant formula for the children -- Infamil Premature Iron Fortified with LIPIL. She was given a voucher from the Women Infants and Children nutrition program (WIC) to pay for the formula."

Dioxins only one danger
[Tireless Dr. Jack Newman writes a letter to the Globe and Mail - JC]


"By JACK NEWMAN
MD, FRCPC
Saturday, July 5, 2003 - Page A16

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Toronto -- What has Andr? Picard got against breast-feeding? It seems that I have never seen an article of his that mentions breast-feeding in a good light. Today's article (Girls Urged To Limit Dioxin-Laced Foods -- July 3), mentions at least three times how much dioxin is in breast milk, with the implication that breast milk is dangerous. He never even mentions the usual 'but breastfeeding is still best for babies and young children.' It is, Mr. Picard."

PM - New blueprint for healthy eating
ABC Radio

"MARK COLVIN: For something so basic to our lives, the whole question of food and diet is becoming increasingly baffling for modern Australians. Today a peak health body tries to simplify it for us with a new blueprint for healthy eating. It's the first update of official dietary guidelines in a decade.

The National Health and Medical Research Council, which prepared the guidelines, says that for babies, breast is best for the first six months of a child's life. And the problem of obesity, even in children, has led it to call for low-fat dairy products, for everyone, including children as young as two.

Annie White reports.

ANNIE WHITE: First there was the pyramid, then the plate, and now a jigsaw puzzle metaphor to explain what the country's leading health and nutrition experts believe we should be eating. The puzzle is made up of guidelines for things like salt, fat and sugar intake.

But to start at the beginning, the NHMRC is now recommending breast milk be the only food for the fist six months of life.

Nutritionist and Chair of the working party which devised the guidelines, Dr Katrine Baghurst.

KATRINE BAGHURST: It's the same with all the guidelines, they are public health guidelines, but then it's up to the individual to work out how they can best achieve those or what they can do. So we do say, if you can't manage it, then for as long and exclusively as you can, is better than not attempting it at all.

ANNIE WHITE: Having knocked back a national paid maternity leave scheme, the Government still supports mothers breast feeding for as much of the first 6 months as they can manage.

Health Minister, Kay Patterson.

KAY PATTERSON: I think what we've got is the very best that one can do and it is difficult if somebody is working, but people sometimes manage expression of milk, they also....I think it's important that they don't feel guilty. But what these guidelines are doing is saying what is really the absolute best practice...."

New Research Shows Eye Development Benefits in Infant Formula: "New Research Shows Eye Development Benefits in Infant Formula
New Study Published in The Journal of Pediatrics Shows Fatty Acids Enhance Eye Development


"CHICAGO, IL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 06/20/2003 -- Two fatty acids added to baby formula assist in eye development, according to a new study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. While there's no disputing breastfeeding is best, the research suggests infant formulas are moving closer to providing the benefits of breast milk. Study highlights:..."

Taipei Times - archives: "Association says breast is the best
By Melody Chen
STAFF REPORTER
Monday, Jun 30, 2003,Page 2

More than 100 pairs of parents yesterday brought their babies along to a function celebrating the establishment of the Breastfeeding Association Taiwan (BRA), the country's first organization to promote breastfeeding.

Chen Chao-huei (³¯¬L´f), chief of the neonatology division in Tai-chung Veterans General Hospital, was the author of an article exploring the relationship between SARS and breastfeeding. She attended the function to answer questions about breastfeeding.

There are no ready statistics on the prevalence of breastfeeding in Taiwan at the moment, but Chen said in the country's 'mother-baby-friendly hospitals,' around 80 to 90 percent of mothers breastfeed their newborn babies."

Enzymotec launches InFat- perfect fat for infant formulas: "


Incorporating InFat into infant formulas will increase baby"

Got milk? Then Berkeley wants you to join the battle of the breastfeeders

"City hopes to retain last year's world record status at Aug. 9 marathon event
By Angela Hill, STAFF WRITER
BERKELEY -- In a matter of weeks, more than1,000 fierce female competitors, chapped sore from months of rigorous training, will engage in a battle to retain Berkeley's world-record status in an event so fulfilling, so titillating, so overrun with babies that if Dr. Spock were still alive this would probably kill him.

Indeed, it is time once again for the breastfeeding marathon, which last year drew a whopping 1,130 lactating ladies and their wee ones to the Berkeley Community Theater auditorium, putting Berkeley in the Guinness Book of World Records."

ic Liverpool - Donors to deliver for babies born early: "Donors to deliver for babies born early

Jul 4 2003

By Sam Lister Daily Post Staff


PREMATURE babies are to benefit from a new human milk bank which has opened in Chester.

Mothers can now donate surplus breast milk to the Coun-tess of Chester Hospital's specialist baby unit where it will be used to bottle feed to newborns on the ward.

It is hoped the milk, which is easier for tiny stomachs to absorb than the diary formula version, will boost the growth of babies who are born early.

"

The Globe and Mail: "Girls warned to cut back on meat, whole milk"

By ANDRÉ PICARD
From Thursday's Globe and Mail


"Girls should markedly cut back their consumption of red meat, poultry and whole milk to reduce their exposure to dioxin, a chemical that can build up in the body and, in their childbearing years, harm their babies, a U.S. scientific panel says."
...
The levels of dioxins in the breast milk of women in Canada's Far North is five-times higher than among women in the south."

toledoblade.com: "Nitrates in Fremont water unsafe for babies to drink

FREMONT "

Taipei Times - archives: "Association says breast is the best
By Melody Chen
STAFF REPORTER
Monday, Jun 30, 2003,Page 2

More than 100 pairs of parents yesterday brought their babies along to a function celebrating the establishment of the Breastfeeding Association Taiwan (BRA), the country's first organization to promote breastfeeding.

Chen Chao-huei (³¯¬L´f), chief of the neonatology division in Tai-chung Veterans General Hospital, was the author of an article exploring the relationship between SARS and breastfeeding. She attended the function to answer questions about breastfeeding.

There are no ready statistics on the prevalence of breastfeeding in Taiwan at the moment, but Chen said in the country's 'mother-baby-friendly hospitals,' around 80 to 90 percent of mothers breastfeed their newborn babies."

Herald Sun: More new mums go under knife [02jul03]: "More new mums go under knife
By KELLY RYAN and JEN KELLY
02jul03

MORE than one in three Melbourne women have their babies delivered by surgery.

A snapshot of birthing options reveals Francis Perry House in Carlton has the highest percentage of caesarean deliveries each year.

Higher caesarean rates at some birthing centres reflect their specialised care for the growing number of older, first-time mums and IVF babies."

Food Ingredients First: Nutrition, Ingredients and Foods Online - Newsmaker: "Martek`s DHA and ARA important after breastfeeding- study


Infants receiving the DHA and ARA-supplemented formula demonstrated significantly more mature visual acuity than those infants fed the non- supplemented formula.

30/06/2003 Columbia, Martek Biosciences Corporation commented on the results of a study published in the June 2003 edition of The Journal of Pediatrics. Data from the study demonstrated that infants weaned onto formula supplemented with the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA) experienced significantly improved visual development at one year of age compared to infants weaned onto formula not supplemented with DHA and ARA."

Men can nurture children as well as women can

By CATHERINE SNYDER Tuesday, March 4, 2003

"One of our neighbors gave birth to preemie twins, a boy and girl, in January. We don't know the family well, but one day recently the woman called our house at wits' end: Her husband was working out of state and the twins had been crying for hours. Both babies are underweight and have severe digestive problems. One is too weak to breastfeed and is scheduled for heart surgery.

Could one of us come over to help? Did we have any formula?

My husband, John, took the call and told her he'd be right over. Before he left he asked me - in bed with a cold - where we keep our backup can of formula. "Are you sure you want to do this? I can go," I said, pulling the covers aside.

I surprised myself: Here I was falling back on gender stereotypes, as if a father would be less qualified than a mother to tend to screaming babies. But there it was: "I can go." Sniffle, sneeze.

John urged me to rest and tend to our son, Anthony, and then left with the formula and a pocketful of Mother's Milk tea bags; brewed, these are supposed to stimulate the flow of milk.

I followed half an hour later expecting to have to rescue John and our neighbor from pandemonium. Instead I found a picture of tranquillity: John sitting on a couch in the nursery with the girl fed and sleeping in his arms; the boy propped up beside him making healthy progress on a bottle of milk.

Our neighbor used the time to call the pediatrician, pump more breast milk, use the bathroom and compose herself. She was sleep-deprived, hungry and thirsty. She made many phone calls to friends and neighbors, trying to line up help for later. Some of these calls went to fathers.

As I learned, and as many new parents find out, men are every bit as nurturing as their partners are." [I want neighbours like this! - JC]

Babies Aren't the Only Beneficiaries of Breast-Feeding: "Babies Aren't the Only Beneficiaries of Breast-Feeding
Carrie Boretz for The New York Times

By LIZ GALST

"Breast is best' "— that is what health care providers and advocates tell mothers who are making decisions about how to feed their newborns.

What is usually meant by that statement is this: compared with bottle feeding, breast-feeding offers incomparable benefits to children, even to those fed that way for a relatively short time. Among the benefits are reduced risks of asthma, lymphoma, sudden infant death syndrome, meningitis, pneumonia, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, infections, diarrhea and colds. In a majority of studies, breast-fed children have I.Q.'s 3 to 10 points higher than children who are nursed by the bottle. ..."