In the study correlating lower IQ with not breastfeeding, I am very interested in the 10% of babies for whom it appears artificial feeding would not have made any negative difference (in IQ), due to a difference in the genetic material of those babies. I think this has to be too simplistic an explanation. For one thing, genetic material is not static--it changes all of the time. Remember that this is a complex interaction of the gene and the environment. If we assume that the rate of mixed feedings (or not being exclusively bf) was the same for all groups, we might find that the need for EFAs is greater in people with certain genetic material? They might have once had diets that satisfied such a need and hence we would not see this discrepancy. 

The fact that we are starting to hear the term "genetic expression" in mainstream research, albeit decades after it was common language in the holistic community, is certainly heartening. Next ,we need to see the recognition that genetic expression is an active process, in which the psycho-emotional experience of the human being plays a significant, if not the most significant role. I will be most curious to see what the outcomes are then.


 


Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA
Intuitive Parenting Network LLC

 




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