FROM: Sturgess, Frances Coulter TO:[log in to unmask] SUBJECT: arly helms/uncontrolled field experiment DATE: 11-21-96 19:48 EST PRIORITY: Who is Arly Helms (I hope i got this right) ? I saw a similar quotation attributed to a Frank Oski in a "remarks" article submitted to Peds.vol.88, no 5 Nov 1991 --Brief History ofInfant Nutrition and VIew to the Future--award acceptance speech by Dr. Lewis Barness/u. wisc/coll. med. Can someone tell me the correct etiology/attribution/whatever? "Infant nutrition covers that period oflife traditionally devoted to nursing, preferably atthe breast. The history of the science of infant nutrition is relatively short, perhpas less than 150 years. Frank Oski has critized infant feeding practices as the longest-lasting uncontrolled experiment lacking informed consent in the history of medicin. Indeed, until recently, most of the changes in infant feeding practices were based on empiricism. If a child lived and grew, that feeeding was considered successful. This then became accepted as standard until a new idea was tried, and if a few babies survived, the new fad became the sstandard. Perhaps logivally there could have been no other method for infant feeding practices to have evolved. Analytical chemistry is less than 200 years old and chemical methods applicable to nutrition, even newer. etc etc---discusses more historical stuff/results/advertising(harm of) and humility--good speech, and I use a copy of it at fairs, for provider ed, etc but it would be nice to know WHO said the "uncontrolled /lack of consent experiiment"