SALMA HAYEK : Africa Mercy Mission | the UNEDITED Breast Video ! | THE FRONTLINE

A video of the actress breastfeeding another woman's baby ignites controversy ! | Salma Hayek takes a big step towards ending tetanus in Africa. [FEB 2009]
_______________________________

A video of Salma Hayek breastfeeding another woman's baby boy in Sierra Leone has ignited a week's worth of controversy on the Internet.

The video clip generated millions of Web hits along with a slew of passionate comments by people including women who were moved to tears by Hayek's generosity, some calling Hayek disloyal to her own breastfeeding daughter and others who responded with a simple, "That is so wrong."

But why does America care so much?

"We're messed up," said Dr. Miriam Labbok, a physician, professor and director for the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute.

Labbok has traveled the world working with nursing mothers, public health experts and breast milk banks. Based on her research and personal experience, Labbok said she's noticed that the United States has an extreme view of breastfeeding compared to many other countries.

"We've lost the concept that breastfeeding is normal and human in the United States," said Labbok. "In most of the world, it's [nursing someone else's baby is] as common as breastfeeding" one's own.

"In many African cultures, it is not just a nice thing to do, it's expected -- although it's mostly within families," she said. "Anybody who is able to lactate and who does not feed a crying child is considered not doing the right thing."

Labbok met Hayek during her work with the United Nations Children's Fund, commonly known by the acronym UNICEF.

"She's a generous woman," said Labbok, who guessed that Hayek likely asked the baby's mother for permission.

Scientifically, Labbok said it is a natural reaction for a lactating woman's body to "let down" milk when she hears any crying baby.

CONTINUE STORY: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6864594&page=1
_______________________________

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• actress
• salma
• hayek
• actor
• star
• tv
• hollywood
• celebrity
• pampers
• diaper
• entire
• clip
• frontline
• sex
• breastfeeds
• die
• dying
• controversial
• controversy
• superstition
• stranger
• breasts
• breastfeed
• breast
• feed
• world
• hunger
• starving
• war
• zone
• death
• illness
• starvation
• public
• nurse
• nursing
• food
• babies
• children
• sick
• disease
• hungry
• boy
• television
• baby
• child
• nipple
• naked
• african
• hospital
• sierra
• leone
• woman
• mother
• mom
• milk
• video
• photo
• infant
• breastfed
• unicef
• tetanus
• medical
• doctor
• healthcare
• vacine
• shot
• africa

[hisboo911]

If possible, I would lovingly breastfeed a hungry or sick child too. And why not? Some mothers are not able to do it. Plus, breasts are for nurturing. It is food. And over half the world is hungry/starving/dying. I will not be selfish for the sake of "propriety."

[saranebp]

Formula will never be anywhere near as good as Breastmilk, it doesn't matter what anyone says. What the people need is to be educated and it's really good what UNICEF and Salma are doing.

[bitchkillerguy]

@hisboo911 then feed me for i am hungry...

[Emamaly]

@jupiterstarmoonchild and that is why when europeans came to north america many aboriginal people died.. because disease doesn't apparently exist?  And that is why the average life span of a person before all of this industrialization was 30.. think again paranoia person.

[DiGray2011]

I do not want to sound mean but the REAL PROBLEM is OVERPOPULATION , then IGNORANCE and of course lack or resources.

Lets say they have sexual education , cultural educarion and marry at 18 instead of 13 ... and have only ONE healthy child instead of 10 or 15 that will die of illness and hunger? Woudn't that be the real solution instead of bringing tons of humans where there are no resources. Even the poor animals have no water all thanks to human overpopulation.

[carmenyfer]

We have to be real and be culturally competent. In most third world countries breastfeeding a child is not your own is a common practice, is practical and is not being selfish. Breastfeeding is awesome! Go Salma! Kudos to you!

[meljaidanchase]

She's amazing.

[binaryagent]

Proctor and Gamble? The UN? Unicef?

At 2:40 you can hear the real problem. 1/3 of the people have access to clean water. Give the people clean water, not riddled with pollution (this includes industrial fluoride that's put in most American water systems) and you will see much better health.

Tetanus Vaccine? Big Pharma and population control:

nccn.net/~wwithin/tetanus.htm

[jupiterstarmoonchild]

@WalkedTheFloorXx 

[WalkedTheFloorXx]

@jupiterstarmoonchild herpderp

[jupiterstarmoonchild]

@WalkedTheFloorXx lol no unlike you I read and study dummy. 50 years ago no vaccine these people where fine no sickness now all of sudden they need vaccines and shots to live humm what happen?.. Your brain dead go take you swine flu shot drink your floridated water and eat your High Fructose Corn Syurp and GMO foods. If they gave these people organic food from the earth and natural supplements they would not need any shots to live. Your prob think Aids is real to ha lol

[WalkedTheFloorXx]

@jupiterstarmoonchild the vaccine is what keeps them sick? you must be retarded