Today, I thought I'd give y'all an intro to World Breastfeeding Week.But in that thread, I also wanted to share a short story with you. This morning, I took some time to approve comments for Eco Child's Play, which I also write for. One of them was a link to an article I posted regarding a study that said that the PBDEs and PCBs in breastmilk could contribute to autism spectrum disorder. The researcher was very careful, reiterating that "breast is best." He even said he released the results of the study "with trepidation".
But lo and behold, a link at Strollerderby mentions my article. (As much as I hate giving an anti-BFing writer more hits, here you go. Please ignore the "jerk" who made the first comment. ;)
This is the beginning of the post, where the ECP blog is referenced to as nonsensical:
I have been waiting for this kind of news to come out: a study at the University of California, San Francisco has purported a possible link between the PCBs and PBDEs showing up in breastmilk and the development of autism.
Scary? Here’s where it gets even scarier: the scientists and some folks reporting on the study are being overly cautious in putting this out lest women opt for formula over breastfeeding.
If that’s not proof that the “breast is best” folks have lost all common sense, I don’t know what is. Take a report over at Eco Child’s Play this week: which prefaces half its paragraphs with reminders that this study was done on rats rather than humans.
This is what we're up against, folks. This is why there is a "breast is best" lobby, because there are people out there who have been "waiting for news like this." As Annie at PhD in Parenting Tweeted me:
When she used that line, I looked right up to the author line and was expecting to read the name "Hanna Rosin"
It's funny because it's true. Does she hate breastfeeders that much that she would wish and pray that feeding our children as nature intended would have some awful side effects? Plus, mind you, this is but one study, in which the researcher himself says numerous times that he wants human studies done. And he repeats in no uncertain terms that breast is best; it's the chemicals he wants taken care of.
That said, starting Sunday, August 2, I'll be posting some of my favorite stories regarding breastfeeding. So of them are anti-breastfeeding and controversial. Some are great, cheery stories of breastfeeding and its supporters. Altogether, I hope you'll enjoy these blogs by myself and others, and pass them on.
See you then! And if you have any favorites, please, feel free to share them in the comments section at any time, now or next week.
Step 1: Give your Twitter avatar the breastfeeding symbol.
Image: snaulkter on Flickr under a Creative Commons License.
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