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Health Secrets of the Stone Age Written by Philip J. Goscienski, MD Published by: New Century Books, Santa Teresa, NM Reviewed by: Nancy E. Wight, MD, FAAP, IBCLC "Growing old is what nature does to us; aging is what we do to ourselves." So says the foreword of a fascinating new book by one of our local pediatricians and infectious disease specialists. I had the privilege of being asked to comment on the sections of the book pertaining to infant nutrition and breastfeeding. Taking an evolutionary view of health and well-being, Dr. Goscienski discusses nutritional issues of pregnancy, infants and children in Chapter 8. He titles one section "The breast: a nutritional treasure trove" and discusses all the issues we, as breastfeeding advocates know so well, but the general public does not. He states simply: "It's impossible to overestimate the value of breastfeeding.....".
Instead of just pointing out the benefits of breastfeeding, Dr. Goscienski clearly recognizes that formula-fed infants are at a disadvantage when he says: "Mothers who do not put
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their infants to the breast during the first few days of life deprive them of a unique benefit: protection from the effects of stress that babies encounter during the birthing process." He also clearly recognizes that modern lifestyles and social "mores" have colored how we care for and feed infants: "The expectation of modern parents that infants should sleep through the night within a few weeks after birth is not normal for our species." Finally, with unusual humility, Dr. Goscienski frankly admits that during his 35 years in clinical and academic medicine he may have given advice that was current at the time, but now recognized as in error as it was based on cultural "givens" and not science. Although retired, Dr. Goscienski continues to support and educate our community with his CPR instruction work through the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association, and teaching medical students at UCSD in the Department of Community and Family Medicine. His book is available in hardcover (ISBN # 0-930751-60-4) or in paperback (ISBN # 0-930751-61-2) from most outlets. For those of us who wish to be "leaner, livelier and longer-lived" (ALL of us!), it is a fun read and excellent resource.
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Nancy E. Wight, MD, FAAP, IBCLC On July 18, 2003, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-14) introduced H.R. 2790, the Breastfeeding Promotion Act that includes four provisions:
Protects Breastfeeding Under Civil Rights Law. The bill clarifies the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 to protect breastfeeding under civil rights law. This will ensure that women cannot be fired or discriminated against in the workplace for expressing milk or breastfeeding during lunch or breaks.
Provides Tax Incentives for Employers. With more than half of mothers with infants (less than one year of age) in the work force, it is important to promote a mother-friendly work environment. The bill encourages employers to set up a safe, private, and sanitary environment for women to express (or pump) breast milk by providing a tax credit for employers who set up a lactation location, purchase or rent lactation-related equipment, hire a lactation consultant or otherwise promote a lactation-friendly work environment. Many companies would be able to receive a tax credit of up to fifty percent of their related expenses.
Seeks Minimum Safety Standards for Breast Pumps. The bill requires the Food and Drug Administration to develop minimum quality standards for breast pumps to ensure that products on the market are safe and effective based on efficiency, effectiveness, and sanitation factors, in addition to providing full and complete information concerning breast pump equipment.
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Allows Breastfeeding Equipment to Be Tax Deductible. The bill amends the tax laws to include breastfeeding equipment and services as deductible medical care expenses.
At the same time, Rep. Maloney released two excellent reports by the Congressional Research Service: Breast-feeding: Impact on Health, Employment and Society (www.house.gov/maloney/issues/breastfeeding), and Summary of State Breastfeeding Laws (www.house.gov/maloney/issues/breastfeeding/). Representative Maloney's web site offers a wealth of information on breastfeeding and legislative efforts. You can join her office's list for periodic updates by sending an email with your full email address in the text of the message to: breastfeedinginfo.Maloney@mail.house.gov.
Senator Olympia Snowe also introduced S. 418, The Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendments of 2003, that amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding by new mothers. The most efficient way to keep up-to-date on the bills is by referring to the Library of Congress web page - http://thomas.loc.gov/ . Input the bill number you are checking to receive updates. As breastfeeding advocates we need to keep abreast (pun intended) of the status of these bills and support them as they come up in committee and on the floor by asking our own, local representatives to vote for them.
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