Hilary's Desk

It is time the discussion about breast milk changed to fact, not denial. Yes, there should be labels on formula, just as there are labels on cigarettes.

But if formula feeding parents really mean business in terms of accepting that breast is best, then they should be campaigning for a nationwide breast milk bank.  Continue Reading

Why is it, that everyone else wants to editorialise on other people's choices?  This is an interesting question, after the last blog on the bigger picture of breastfeeding.  Do I care if people want to put artificial formula into their babies?  On the one hand, no I don't because it's their choice, but on the other hand, yes, I do, because it's my experience, that most people do that, because they have not been correctly or adequately informed about the consequences of artificial food for babies. I also "care", because at a fundamental level the best health comes from a baby's natural birth-right - the mammalian breast.  The conflict comes with what is "euphemistically" called "choice" where the pro-breast feeders are called "breastfeeding nazis". 

The debate in the Herald was concentrated on "pushiness", not fact:
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The main and unique intermediary step between a NON-INFLAMMATORY phenotype, which is the default setting in pregnancy and for all baby mammals -  and a more individually competent educated immune system better able to handle the world's dangers and challenges.... is breast milk.  Continue Reading

The subject of a previous blog on Paul Offit, was his porkies in his new book "Deadly choices" Dr Offit has authored another document, where, amongst various dictatorial objectives, he wants to force yearly "exemption reviews" by a "state-approved counselor" (inquisitor/brainwasher), to brow-beat parents who chose not to vaccinate - who will no doubt then be billed by the state.  Because such birds of a feather flock together, it wasn't surprising to see that Nikki Turner made a similar recommendation to the Parliamentary Select Committee.  As you see from Offit's darling dial staring at you from this press release, this new document is HIS work. There are other signatories, but you can forget them.  This is classic Offitism, written in the same tone and vein as all his books, and true to form contains similar fiction. Open up at page two and read: Continue Reading

What epidemic? "Numbers have been on the rise since June this year, but they really spiked up in August," said Dr Alison Roberts, of the Ministry of Health' ... Hiding behind the word "epidemic", as a scare tactic, Alison Roberts continues: "We have been expecting an epidemic around now. New Zealand has a whooping cough epidemic every four to five years, and the last one started in 1999." Really?  has Dr Roberts read this from the ESR? which has a graph showing this:    Continue Reading

By Peter Butler.  This website provides you with two “clicking” options, representing two people and two different perspectives – HILARY’S DESK and OUT OF THE MOULD. I suppose you could say that it is two sides of the RRMT “coin”. It is not a case of which side is more important.  Continue Reading

By Peter Butler.  Here is the follow up to “VOICES AND CHOICES”.  Continue Reading

In another piece of cherrypicking nonsense called “Clash of the anecdotes”, Peter Griffin seems to think no-one else reads newspapers. He says:  Continue Reading

It never ceases to amaze me, when people who put themselves out as scientists, display woeful researching skills, and appear not to hear what is said on programmes they criticise. Peter Griffin at Sciblogs had this to say about the 60 Minutes documentary “Living Proof”. Amongst his various ramblings, he misses the fact that experts were asked to comment.. but refused. He also asked heaps of redundant questions:   Continue Reading