I think the problem lay in *all* of us - breastfed/breastfeeding; formula
fed/formula feeding/ professionals / hcp's etc. - comparing the breastfed to
with the forumla fed and vise versa.
If *any* comparisons need to be done, they should be done within the
specific group only. I.E. breastfed to breastfed and formula fed to forumla
fed. Of course, we need to leave it up to the scientists to do the studies
that actually compare the two groups. And if we as professionals are asked
questions in this regard we must answer with the general numbers of said
facts, and NOT try to answer or compare specific families, children, situations.
In thinking of the whole IQ benefit for breastfed babies, I once had an
epiphany. It's quite funny, and I'll readily admit I was attempting to dis my
poor dear husband at the time, but humour me if you will and I'll share it with
you:
See, a number of years ago my hubby and I had each taken an online IQ test
just for fun. I got a score of 125 and He ended up with a score of 132. He
was very pleased that he once and for all could prove that he was smarter
than me. Ha ha. Anyway, I remember wondering at the time, how could
either of us who were forumla fed from the get go (and that was with the
formulations of almost 40 years ago!) even be *that* smart?
And then it dawned on me! If my ever-lovin' husband had been breastfed,
and had been given the benefit of 8 more IQ points...well...he'd be a
genius! 'Cause isn't an IQ of 140 considered borderline genius? Alas, he had
to live life with the knowledge that because he hadn't been breastfed, he'd
never amount to being a genius, and he'd have to suffer through in the
knowledge that he was ONLY 7 points smarter than his lovely wife!
It's a funny story, and one I still like to bring up from time to time, but it does
make a good point:
For people who are ALREADY smart with a high intelligence quotient, 5 or 10
points more really is not going to make a lot of difference in their lives. An IQ
of 125 is really no worse off than an IQ of 130, in terms of educational
opportunities, career choices, and socio-economic outcome.
But. For a person who was formula fed as an infant and only has an IQ of
100, those 5 or 8 or 10 extra points could literally be the catalyst for an
entirely different life. It could literally change that person's educational
opportunities (high school drop out or graduate?) and career choices (menial-
minimum wage labour or lucrative self-employment?) and could have changed
the entire course of their life.
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