European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 22, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nature s Way to feed babies mothers turn to la leche league for advice stories and photos by Effie Bathen Nurnberg Bureau breast feeding babies go where their mommies go a at least most of the time. So last month May 4-5 at the european area conference of la leche league International in Nurnberg West Germany at least a Hundred babies came too. They wriggled their Way Between conference chairs or snooze in their parents arms As 200 mommies and daddies discussed How Best to meet their needs. The International league is a non profit organization that informs and encourages mothers who want to breast feed their babies. La leche Means milk in Spanish families from nine countries and As far away As the portuguese azores islands in the Atlantic and Poland came to the rocking cuddling hug in. Quot this year we be helped 2 million mothers All Over the world Quot said Viola Lennon one of the handful of nursing mothers who founded the league 33 years ago at a picnic in a Chicago suburb. In those Days Only a few mothers who were nursing their babies formed the discussion groups. Now the league has 26,000 certified leaders who Lead discussions in 3,000 chapters or groups around the world. Most Are in major american cities but they Are also found in Europe and South America. Fifteen English language groups Are in american military communities throughout Germany. A today card carrying members include daddies nuns peace corps volunteers missionaries embassy employees and social workers in 50 countries Lennon said in an interview. That also includes professionals on advisory boards. Lennon says that this indicates the growing role that the organization will play in world health and social issues in the 1990s. Those issues include aids divorce custody and visitation single parenting working mothers Active duty military mothers child abuse and infant mortality. A what should a Mother do who has aids there Are lots of theories but we Don t want to Deal in theories a Lennon said. Breast milk is an infection fighter. Will it work its Miracle on babies who Are infected Lennon said that medical research had not yet provided an answer to that question. Nor have Many Legal issues dealing with the rights of breast feeding mothers been resolved. In the Case of divorce judges in the United states Are awarding visitation rights to fathers of babies Only a few months old. They Are seemingly not taking into consideration Lennon contends that overnights and extended visits break up the rhythm of the nursing Cycle and can cause a Young baby to wean prematurely. La leche is a non profit organization that informs and encourages mothers who want to breast feed Here Catherine Allen nurses her son Matthew during a la leche conference in West Germany. He court is completely unaware of the needs of the  Lennon la leche league a prolonged separation can easily decrease the amount of a mothers milk after a few Days nursing from a bottle a baby May turn away from its Mother. Quot the court is completely unaware of the needs of the baby a said Lennon a Mother grandmother and co author of the Book the womanly Art of breastfeeding. Although . Courts have upheld the right to breast feed the need to nurse a baby without prolonged separations has Only recently been recognized in state court decisions she said. A Mother who nurses a toddler can also become the unjustified target for charges of sexual abuse or neglect. This is especially True Lennon said during a bitter divorce or custody Battle. Many of the Complex issues facing mothers Are outlined in publications developed by the la leche league s Legal advisory Council. For example military Active duty mothers who Are nursing their babies have less rights than civilians according to the leagues research. A military woman could be ordered to go on Maneu vers for an extended separation that would cause her to wean her baby prematurely. The league argues that the baby has the right to mothers milk and is after All not in the service. In the United states la leche league says its membership declined in the last decade because mothers did t have to turn to them As often for help any More. This is seen by the organization As a result la lecher a Success in convincing hospitals clinics and groups of health professionals that what they were saying All along was True the Way to Good health care is through the Mother. And for la leche that begins with breastfeeding. Such groups now include information on nursing often supplied to them by la leche As part of its regular infant care programs. The Agency for International development for example has Given the league Grants for the work it is doing with the underprivileged. In countries like Honduras the infant mortality rate is five times that of metropolitan Chicago where she lives said Lennon. That angers her she said women who live where sanitation is poor and clean water rare often receive formula As samples from the hospitals when they deliver their babies. They re influenced by pictures of the Rosy cheeked infants on formula wrappers. Quot because for them the Price is prohibitive they Start watering Down the formula Quot relates Lennon. The league also helps mothers with questions regarding caesarean Section babies twins adopted babies premature babies siblings and the All important problem common to new parents How do we get some sleep at night people in the past May have perceived the league As a group of mothers which was uncompromising when it came to breast feeding. This May have been due to the Over zealousness of some members. The organization however does not want to make mothers who do not breast Maryams Taam Faal Al slut a Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes Friday june 22,1990