Hi Gonneke,

If you can get a hold of the WHO booklet on relactation it has a good
summary of reasons why adoptive BF is a good idea and also notes that it is
easier with younger children (also the big study from Auerbach and Avery-Am
J Dis Child 135:340). Unfortunately there is nothing published that I have
been able to find that specifically states tha BF is advisable for adopted
children in developed countries. However, one of the biggest concerns for
institutionalised children is the issue of promoting attachment and there
is stacks of stuff about that says that adopted kids need help to form good
attachment to their parents as well as being info that says that BF
promotes attachment. You just need to put the two together. Needs to be a
paper written on this one some time.

Alternatively, if this mum is not able to get the authorities to change
their minds (sounds like they are about as intractable as Australian
adoption officials) then it is my opinion that BF is still worthwhile.
There is a technique called 'reparenting' that is used with adopted kids.
Basically it is redoing things they missed out on as babies to promote
attachment. Thus it is recommended that 'older kids' up to 8-9-10 even
should be babied and for eg given bottles by parents at special times.
Thus, attempted BF a 3 year old, well within the normal range of BF should
be worth trying. If your mum isn't able to change her request and does try
to attempt BF a 3 year old. I'd be real glad to hear from her.

Karleen Gribble
Australia
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            o
adopting from China, requesting a 3 year old, BF- who knows?



> Dear all,
>
> A mother, now breastfeeding het own 3yo has applied for adoption from
China and
> wants to breastfeed this child.
> The committee that deals with her application has announced her that she
can
> adopt a 2 yo. She however wants to adopt a younger child (under 1yo) in
order to
> have a realistic chance to breastfeed the child. She will need to have
good
> arguments to even have a chance that the committee will consider her
request.
> She is working with an LC to write an official letter to go with it and
put more
> weight on the request.
> I've searched the archives, but did not find what I looked for, which is
> evidence based arguments why A) breastfeeding is a must for adopted
children
> from the Far East and B) why the child should be as young as possible to
give
> relactation a fair chance of success.
> As to B) I've found some posts in the archives, stating that the younger
the
> child the better the success-chance, but that all was experience based
(which is
> OK with me, but not the adoption committee). In answer to A) I did find
> literature ina Medline search about the general low health status of
adopted
> children from abroad (Far and Middle East and Eastern Europe), but that
can only
> be used as a secundairy argumentation (breastfeeding as a cure for
infections
> and a prophylaxis for disease)
> Who of you wise ones can direct me to sources of ''hard evidence'' for
this
> mother?
>
> TIA,
>
> Gonneke van Veldhuizen, IBCLC, living in Maaseik, Belgium
> http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac
> [log in to unmask]
>

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