Pollution Action
www.pollutionaction.org
Our research paper, "Pros and Cons of Breastfeeding in Developed Countries," critically examining one-by-one the claims made by Surgeon General Benjamin about benefits to an infant of breastfeeding, can be reached by going to http://www.breastfeedingprosandcons.info
Our very large research paper, "Breastfeeding in Relation to Autism and Childhood Cancer in Developed Countries," can be reached by clicking here. Although this paper is quite long, it has a good introductory summary, with links to detailed sections on each topic; but the introductory summary, including several pictures, is itself several pages long. To view a briefer abstract of some of the main points of the above paper, click here.
A paper just on the subject of breastfeeding and cancer, briefer than the paper mentioned just above, is at www.breastfeeding-and-cancer.info
Another research paper, "Feeding a Baby for Best Long-Term Health," with a special section on ADHD and psychological problems among the young, can be reached by going to http://www.babyfeeding.info .
Another paper focusing on causes of diabetes, with special reference to its causes in relation to breastfeeding, is at www.causeofdiabetes.net
For a discussion of breastfeeding with special reference to its relationship to asthma, go to www.breastfeedinginfo.info
For information about probable causes of childhood obesity, go to www.child-obesity.us .
For information about the major increases in child disabilities and health disorders since the 1970's, and what may underlie those increases, go to www.breastfeeding-health-effects.info .
For some considerations that are very relevant to any mother who is attempting to breastfeed but encountering problems or difficulties in breastfeeding, and for a comparative look at apparent health effects of high or low rates of breastfeeding across five different major world regions, go to www.breastfeedingdifficulties.info .
For a detailed discussion of the large number of different toxins that have been found in human milk, their sources in our environment (before entering the mother's body), and their specific biological effects (mainly as found in tests with animals but also as found in studies of humans), go to www.breastfeeding-toxins.info .
*About Pollution Action
This organization consists to a great extent of one person, me (Don Meulenberg), but I receive considerable data-gathering and analysis assistance from several associates, as mentioned below. I am not a scientist, but my education included challenging biology and chemistry courses, in which I did well; and I am quite able to accurately pull together and summarize relevant sections from the many scientific studies and health data sources that are available in the fields I am concerned with. This orientation has some advantages compared with studies by PhD's, which tend to go into great detail in narrowly-defined areas, and which typically conclude with recommendations for future multi-year studies on the subject. I received scores in the top 1% on standardized tests when in high school, hold a B.A. cum laude from Oberlin College, and stood in the top third of my class during a year at Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration. There were important aspects of the business-school case-study method that have been helpful in making my work more practically useful (I believe) than much or most of what has been written on these subjects, as follows: After carefully studying large amounts of printed matter on a subject and doing whatever numerical calculations seem relevant, one is expected to come up with well-considered recommendations for action. Apparent insufficiency of information available on a subject should not lead one to be satisfied to recommend future long-term studies, if there is a serious problem now. Work around gaps in the available data as best you can, and come up with an action plan reasonably quickly that you can defend in plain English on the basis of the data and common sense. As applied in this case, that approach meant poring through hundreds of studies and reports, plotting local disability data and analyzing pollution figures (with the aid of spreadsheet software), then winnowing out some apparent patterns for closer looks, utilizing the excellent computer expertise, diligent data analysis and real-world knowledge of Matt Hulbert, proof-reading, general assistance and excellent advice of Greta Hammen, accurate data entry, computations, and map-shading assistance from various associates (especially Richard Hybl and Tim Gill), considerable and invaluable assistance from reference librarians at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library (especially Lee Criscuolo and Courtney McAllister) in locating difficult-to-access scientific articles, very helpful thoughts and guidance to information sources from Professor James Corbett of the University of Delaware's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and drawing on insightful comments and suggestions from various acquaintances, employees and friends, including parents from three separate families each with at least one boy and one girl.
I own a small U.S. manufacturing company and manage it when I'm not working on pollution and developmental matters. We are located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA. Since my company's products compete in a minor but significant way with imports from Asia, my attention was originally drawn to the subject of environmental toxins when I became aware of the increasing pollution emitted by ships bringing imports to U.S. shores. I was also inspired to look into the subject of sources of mental impairment by seeing an increase in sales of my company’s damage-resistant products for use in residences for mentally-handicapped young people.
I strongly encourage any reader to look in my writing for any statement that does not appear to be well supported by valid evidence or reasoning, or any passages that don't seem to make sense, and to inform me (and anyone else) about any apparent flaws. All comments that criticize specific passages will be posted at the end of the appropriate paper and responded to. Many people won’t like my conclusions, but if you can’t say anything about what is inadequate with the evidence or the reasoning that led to the conclusions, please don’t bother making a negative response. (But non-negative responses are always welcome.) My e-mail address is dm@pollutionaction.org . It is noteworthy that, more than a year after this invitation of criticism was first posted, during which time this website was visited by many thousands of readers per month, we have not received one word of criticism of any statements in our content as not being well-founded on good evidence or valid reasoning. Quite clearly, many people don't like our conclusions; they just can't find anything wrong with the evidence or reasoning that leads to the conclusions. Those who can't provide any criticisms of any of our content also include officials of government agencies that promote breastfeeding, who have received several letters from us, as well as the World Health Organization and the American physicians' associations that advocate breastfeeding. The latter organizations haven't even responded to our letters questioning them about the evidence on which they base their advocacy of breastfeeding. (Sole exceptions - - we did receive several notices that our letter was forwarded to a different party, who really should have been the association's expert in these matters. But not one word beyond that, as of several months later.)
Full disclosure: The name of my small Virginia manufacturing company is not mentioned here because doing so might cause some people to think that my writing and publicizing of findings is intended to generate publicity and sales for my company. But anyone who is curious could find out the nature of my business with little difficulty. I have no financial or other interest in infant formula or in anything that could benefit from my research.
Office Address: Pollution Action, 27 McWhirt Loop, Ste. 111, Fredericksburg, VA 22406
www.pollutionaction.org 540-370-1555 E-mail: dm@pollutionaction.org