Toxicologist Professor Dr Mustafa Ali Mohd from University of Malaya is a MORON!

My BlackBerry blinks with lots of Happy Mothers' Day messages from family and friends.

However, my mood is now spoiled thanks to Toxicologist Professor Dr Mustafa Ali Mohd (the bald one in the pix) from University of Malaya and the comment publised in the NST's Focus article today titled 'Toxins in mother's milk'.

Please read it here: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/Focus/2234690/Article

He has no proof - where is his data that show POP (Persistent Organic Pollutants) are present in mother's milk? How big is the sample?

I hate men like this who make comments without facts. Obviously he was not breastfed and neither were his children.

UPDATE 20.05.08

My paeditrician Dr. Koe Swee Lee wrote a reply to the article above - WOO HOO!!!!!

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/Letters/2244983/Article/index_html

2008/05/20

Breast milk: Contaminants aside, it's still the best for babies

By : DR KOE SWEE LEE, Malaysian Paediatric Association, Kuala Lumpur

THE report "Toxins in mother's milk" (Focus, New Sunday Times, May 11) is alarming to breastfeeding mothers who will be worried that they are contaminating and doing harm to their babies.

Dioxins produced during industrial processes and persistent organic pollutants (Pops) such as PCBs are of great concern because they remain in the body for a long time and contribute to the presence of contaminants in mothers and babies.

Research has shown that the foetus' trans-placental exposure to PCBs and dioxin (during pregnancy) adversely affect the neurological and perceptive development of children up to 10 years of age and growth up to 14 years.

The greatest risk period for adverse effects from environmental exposure is pre-natally, during pregnancy.
Breast milk may increasingly contain contaminants early in lactation but this decreases after the sixth month of breastfeeding.

The rapid growth of infants in the first year of life leads to growth-related dilution of contaminants in the first year of life.

Presently, it is not possible to reduce the toxins already in the environment to any extent.

It is reassuring to know that studies show that postnatal exposure to PCBs and dioxins through breast milk has not been shown to affect the neurological or perceptive development of infants and children.

A Dutch study (in 1999) of foetuses exposed to background environmental contaminants found a difference between formula-fed and breast-fed infants.

Although breast-fed babies were more exposed to environmental contaminants, the formula-fed infants demonstrated adverse neurological outcomes compared with breast-fed infants.

It is believed that substances in breast milk may have countered the negative effects of the toxins.

The World Health Organisation and Unicef and breast-feeding advocates have devoted much effort to promoting breast-feeding and the benefits of breast-feeding to the mother and baby.

There are thousands of scientific studies that confirm the short and long-term health benefits of breast-feeding to the baby.

To advocate formula-feeding in lieu of breast-feeding to reduce the exposure to environmental toxins is to ignore the weight of scientific evidence.

Not breast-feeding the child exposes him to repeated mild and serious life-threatening infections and increases the risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of childhood cancers.

Formula-fed infants have been found to have at least eight to 10 fewer IQ (intelligence quotient) points compared with breast-fed children.

Breast-feeding also reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancers and osteoporosis in the mother, not to mention the natural family-planning benefits.

The strong message to mothers is: continue breastfeeding your child. The components in breast milk have been found to protect your child from the effects of toxins and promote the best physical, emotional and IQ development of your child.

UPDATE 21.05.08 - Another intelligent Doctor in my books - YAY!

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Letters/2245242/Article/index_html

BREAST MILK: Focus on reducing toxins in food

DR BALKEES A. MAJEED, Penang

YOUR report "Toxins in mother's milk", (New Sunday Times, May 11), which may discourage mothers from breast-feeding their infants, is factually erroneous.

Breast-feeding is the recommended standard of the World Health Organisation (WHO) with regard to providing nutrition and nourishment for infants. This is also the stated policy recommendation of the Health Ministry of Malaysia.

It is well-established in scientific research that the presence of toxins in human milk arises from the food that the mother consumes or from the environment she lives in. These toxins are deposited in the fat cells of the mother or are passed on to the infant during pregnancy or through breast milk.

However, scientific research shows that the immunological and developmental benefits of breast-feeding outweigh the side effects arising from the toxins in the breast milk to both the mother and infant.

Anybody who is exposed to a contaminated environment or food is likely to have toxins in their body. Toxins accumulate in different parts, including adipose tissue, brain, bone blood, liver, placenta, semen and also breast milk. If we were to test infants born anywhere in the world, we would find in them industrial toxins.

The intake of toxins by breast-fed infants, as reported in a WHO study, is the same as or somewhat lower than that of infants fed on formula mixed with local water. However, your report argues to the contrary that formula-feeding is far safer than breast-feeding, though it is not substantiated or proven by scientific research.

Even Prof Dr Ahmad Ismail, whom the writer quotes on the issue of toxins in breast milk, acknowledges that "breast milk is the best as it provides components essential for infants' growth and development".

Rather than avoiding breast milk, our society must focus our attention on reducing toxins in the environment and in food, which is the most effective way of protecting babies and mothers from harm.