Dr Julie Moore, PerthI was fascinated by the article by social media expert Mr Damien Cummings (Social Media Lessons, October 2011). He used the example of working with "a baby milk brand who was marketing their products directly to women in the early stages of pregnancy", recognising that at this stage "there is a large amount of doubt and risk" for women - their online relationship strategies were a great commercial success.

It surprised me that in an article aimed at health professionals, no reference was made to the ethics of this strategy, which is consciously exploiting that doubt and fear. I wonder also how he reconciles it with the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulas (MAIF) agreement - "5(d) Marketing personnel, in their business capacity, should not seek direct or indirect contact with pregnant women or with parents of infants and young children."

Doctors who are providing information and support to women to help them breastfeed their babies may have no idea of the power of the subtle and disguised commercial interests that undermine their message. Ultimately, these practices may deprive women and their families of the right to make an informed choice based on accurate information - which may lead to regret about the many negative health, financial, and emotional consequences of a misinformed choice not to breastfeed their babies.

The Australian Breastfeeding Association (www.breastfeeding.asn.au) is a good resource for evidence-based, friendly and accessible information, and 24/7 breastfeeding counselling support can be contacted on the ABA Helpline, 1800mum2mum.

Ed. The subtle driving of consumer demand through dissemination of biased information or failure to disseminate unfavourable findings is not limited to product manufacturers. The medical profession has been accused of much the same, so as a profession, the onus is on us to stamp out the misuse of power or influence, as Julie Moore rightly points out. Mr Cummings was invited to respond.