Editorial: Breast feeding story

This is a comment on an article titled "Ideology, childbirth and child rearing," The Jakarta Post, Aug. 18.

On the one hand you say that everyone should "equip themselves with the knowledge necessary to bear and rear a child". But on the other hand you criticize the media for providing the very information that will enable people to make rational and informed decisions.

Health advice in the media is helpful and informative. We are often reminded, for example, that exercise, such as running, is good for our health and sets a good example for our children.

Of course, some people are physically unable to run and others choose not to exercise because they have other commitments which they consider more important.

But one cannot expect newspapers and magazines to put disclaimers in every article saying "of course, if you choose not to exercise for some reason, there is no need for you to feel guilty about it". That would be pointless condescension.

The media supply helpful information. It is up to us to decide how that information influences our lifestyle in our circumstances.

Nobody is saying that mothers should go to jail for feeding their babies formula milk or that distributors should face the firing squad for selling the harmful white powder. They are only pointing out that the decision to use formula milk rather than breast milk is not cost-free.

What you should perhaps emphasis is that women whose physical or economic circumstances prevent them from breast-feeding deserve more sympathy and help.

And mothers who are prevented from breast feeding by social inhibition especially deserve support and encouragement to enable them to breast-feed.

The sad truth is that there is a de facto taboo on breast-feeding in mosques, TV studios, upmarket shopping malls and other places that establish models of desirable etiquette in modern society.

JOHN HARGREAVES
Jakarta