The pediatric providers where I work received a mailing and I thought all
of you might be interested in knowing of it. It breaks my heart to think
babies who are not breastfed are all already taking part in the on-going,
uncontrolled feeding experiment known as "the formula industry." This study
addresses an important question, but I think it will only serve to bolster
sales of one type of formula over the other. I mean, where is the money in
suggesting we promote breastfeeding? Funding for the breastfeeding support
program I started 15 years ago has been eliminated, and I was feeling sorry
for myself until a local pediatrician told me all the funding for the
program at her hospital was cut, too.

 "...pilot study of infant feeding will begin enrolling patients July 21 in
the well-baby nurseries at Brigham and Women's Hospital
[Boston]...and...Pediatric Health Associates Clinic at Children's Hospital
[Boston]...The goal of this study is to develop and finalize recruitment
strategies and sonography procedures on organs not commonly measured in
infants in preparation for a larger randomized trial evaluating the
biological response of infants to soy formula prepared with and without
isoflavones....Soy infant formula contains large amounts of
isoflavones...that occupy estrogen receptors and act as estrogens in the
laboratory. It is unclear whether or not the isoflavones in soy formula
produce a detectable biologic response in infants whose diet is
predominantly soy formula...We will be looking at healthy, full-term
infants classified into 3 feeding categories (soy formula, cow-based
formula and breastmilk) and measuring the infants' organs by ultrasound at
specific timepoints during the first year of life." (National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of
Health and Human Services)

~~Margery Wilson, IBCLC
Cambridge, MA

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