>"In our study population fluid supplements offered by bottle with or
> without the use of pacifiers during the first 5 days of life were not
> associated with a lower prevalence or shorter duration of breastfeeding
> during the first 6 months of life."

(This quote from the end of March tells you how absurdly far behind I am.)
Rachel Myr was objecting to this study for several reasons.  There's one
more issue that bothers me in every "duration" study that stops at, say, 6
months of age.

How long is it that we recommend babies breastfeed?  The AAP says *at least*
a year.  When a duration study stops short of that, how can it claim to
measure the effect of the variable?  Unless it looks very carefully at the
*robustness* of those 6 month old breastfeeding relationships, it could
easily miss chronic problems that lead to premature weaning.

Imagine a study that looked at smoking's effect on lifespan, but that ended
at age 25.  Maybe nobody's dead yet, but damage may be underway.  Wouldn't
we expect any study that looked at duration of *life* to continue to our
life *expectancy* and preferably beyond?  Shouldn't any study that looks at
duration of *breastfeeding* continue to our breastfeeding *expectation* and
preferably beyond?

Reminds me of the person who fell out a 50th floor window and yelled as he
flashed by the 10th floor window, "So far so good!"
--
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC  Ithaca, NY
www.wiessinger.baka.com

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