Kathy,
I would certainly encourage everyone to read these articles but the following
article should be read with caution:

"Growth, Efficacy, and Safety of Feeding an Iron-Fortified Human Milk
Fortifier
Carol Lynn Berseth, John E. Van  Aerde, Steven Gross, Suzanne I.
Stol, Cheryl L.  Harris, and James W. Hansen
Pediatrics 2004 114 ("

James W. Hansen is the medical director of Mead Johnson/division of Bristol
Myers Squibb.
http://www.meadjohnson.com/about/pressrelease/lipilpressrelease.html

He is also a member of the ISRHML (International Society of Researchers of
Human Milk and Lactation).  I am assuming that he is the lead researcher for
this paper (often the lead researcher is named last on papers).  He is the
inventor in a number of infant formula patents and patent applications on DHA and
AA.  He is also an inventor for a patent on vitamin D for infant formula held by
Bristol Myers Squibb.  His latest patent  is assigned to Bristol Myers Squibb
is patent # 6753350 called, "Method to reduce the incidence of
intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants."  It's about using DHA to prevent this
problem in preterm infants. (without seein this new paper in Pediatrics I imagine
we will be fortifiying human milk with DHA)  According to the patent,
breastmilk supposedly doesn't have enough DHA.  Of course for years infant formula had
none.  And now industry seems to equate Martek's DHA made from novel
ingredients of dinoflagellates (commonly known as algae) extracted by hexane as
equivalent to human milk DHA.  Of course DHA research is brought to you by people who
have patents on it and have a vested interest in getting this supplementation
sold to the general public.

This study on the safety, growth, and efficacy of iron-fortified human milk
fortifier should be read with some healthy skeptism.  I find it upsetting that
researchers with vested interests get to publish so easily in journals.  But
it does seem to be a common practice.  I guess it's the common belief system
that seems to be floating around from organization to organization that personal
moral standards are separate from professional ethics.  We seem to be living
in a time period where ethics are no longer considered practical in our free
enterprise system.  Anyway, I would certainly read this paper but there is
probably some built-in biases.
Valerie W. McClain, "patent-pending" breastfeeding advocate

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