Forive me if someone has already posted this, but there is some evidence of
dietary 'programming' in rats through breastfeeding.  The pups learn what to
eat through flavors in their milk.  This would probably apply to human infants
as well.  Kathy D.: could this be a contributor to the persistence of food
ways (cultural dietary preferences) long after other culture-of-origin
practices have been abandoned by immigrants?
        Just another reason why we should not counsel mothers to
unneccessarily restrict their diets while lactating...
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC  NYC  [log in to unmask]