So: Is It Possible That Nora Ephron Ignores Science?

My gut response to Nora Ephron's mildly tongue-in-cheek Op-Ed "The Chicken Soup Chronicles"(New York Times, January 13) was, "Wow, with her Luddite's view of breastfeeding research, Nora Ephron might be up for a "science" position in the Bush administration." In the article she writes,

"I will confess a bias: I’ve never understood the religious fervor that surrounds breast-feeding. There are fanatics out there who believe you should breast-feed your child until he or she is old enough to unbutton your blouse. Their success in conning a huge number of women into believing this is one of the truly grim things about modern life. Anyway, one of the main reasons given for breast-feeding is that breast-fed children are less prone to allergies. But children today are far more allergic than they were when I was growing up, when far fewer women breast-fed their children. I mean, what is it with all these children dropping dead from sniffing a peanut? This is new, friends, it’s brand-new new, and don’t believe anyone who says otherwise. So: is it possible that breast-feeding causes allergies?"

Women, I hope, aren't "conned" into breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend breastfeeding in their well-researched policy statements. These are medical recommendations by medical professionals fully supported by rigorous scientific fact. Perhaps the most disturbing part of Ephron's rant is how she believes that "[extended breastfeeding] is one of the truly grim things about modern life". Ms. Ephron, you're right, promotion of breastfeeding really is worse than the parade of horribles we see every day on the news, including the cruel reality of children who die from allergies. Whatever the cause of a perceived increase in allergies, there is no science to support that it comes from breastfeeding. What I found to be most depressing, however, was the fact that Ephron's article wasn't even funny -- a "grim" truth. Sounds like she needs a good dose of hindmilk. Hope it's not too late.