I find myself after 10 PM EDT wanting jump into this discussion rather than
go to bed  because it drive me so crazy. Gonneke, I cannot immediately
locate in my file the "source" of this rubbish that has been going around
for years...that 5% of women simply cannot lactate.

This pesky 5% number DID have a basis in a real study.  More or less. Deem
quoted Spence's study. As I recall, Spence was saying that if cows can
produce enough milk, then at least 95% of women should be able to do so. I
have done some rather elaborate searches to find a study on humans that
even remotely implies this. There is no such thing that I'm aware of. I am
100% confident that if such a study existed, I would have found it by now.

This is an excellent example of how something gets started, everyone
accepts it for gospel truth, and then it just keeps going on and on from
generation to generation.

From the library's dusty dungeons, I have dragged out multiple "ancient"
articles  because I am determined to find the source that proves the
untruths, half-truths and just plain fiction that goes around the lactation
community. Often, when I have *read* the source of this 5% number and other
"truths" I find that there is little, if any substance behind them.

References for Deem and Spence are below.
Deem, H. and McGeorge, M. Breast-feeding. NZ Med J 1958; 57:539-56.

Spence, J.C. The modern decline of breast-feeding. Br Med J 1938 (October
8); 2:729-33.



and perhaps very severe psychological issues. I heard a BF volunteer tell
that a LC told her that that number will probably be 5-10%. I think that is
unrealistic high (mind you, I talk the *really* untreatable hindrances, not
the hard to treat or mostly mismanaged ones).
>Has there ever been some real study on this. Or even some well-educated
>guesswork? Or deductive maths? Anything?
-- 
Marie Biancuzzo RN MS
Editor, Breastfeeding Outlook
Ph 703-758-0092
Fx 703-758-0891
[log in to unmask]
http://www.breastfeedingoutlook.com

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