<< ORAL & NIPPLE THRUSH: yogurt,
homemade is best, but acidophilus yogurt is a close second. Eat it; coat the
inside of your baby's mouth with it after each feeding - dip a clean finger
in the yogurt and let the babe suck it off (wash your finger afterwards) or
smear the yeast patches with yogurt on a cotton swab <<


I would like to point out that, if this information is intended to apply to
a baby under the age of 6
months, it would contradict the recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding
until about that age.

Most research on breastfeeding has not been rigorous in the definition of
what 'breastfeeding' consists of.  Where definitions have been used,
sometimes a definition of exclusive breastfeeding which means 'breastfeeding
without the use of other animal or animal-based milks, but use of water, otc
medications, yoghurt, etc etc ok'.  In physiological terms this probably
does not make sense.  A good example of the real difference this could make
is the (yes, you knew I was going to refer to this again) Coutsoudis
reserach
in The Lancet which showed that, if you are looking at the outcome of HIV
transmission from HIV+ women to their babies, those who exclusively
breastfed (in a population in Durban, South Africa) -- exclusive defined as
breastfeeding with only medications, no water, etc. allowed -- had a rate of
transmission similar to those who exclusively gave replacment feeds (never
breastfed), while those who mixed fed -- breastfed plus water, mealie
porridge, other milks, whatever (yoghurt, for all I know) had the highest
rate of transmission.


In the Feb edition of Breastfeeding Abstracts from LLLI, there was an
excellent article by Miriam Labbok on the definitions of breastfeeding.  She
points out that the definition of 'exclusive breastfeeding' used in some
studeis as 'breastfeeding without the use of other milks' is essentially a
formula company definition, as they have framed this to mean 'excluding our
products'.

We don't have lots of  studies, but I would think a reasonable presumption
on the basis of what we do know, until other studies are done, is that if
babies are *exclusively* breastfed they have different health outcomes from
those who are mixed fed.  In the case of remedies, like using yoghurt,  it
would then become a matter of balancing risks:  Is this remedy likely to
have such a beneficial effect that it is worth compromising exclusive
breastfeeding?

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html