Dear all:

The concept of premature cord clamping exacerbating anemia was so much a given in my 
prior world of international nutrition that I didn't even think to include that as one means 
to reduce unnecessary anemia in infants.  More than 10 years ago there were widespread 
programs in developing areas of the world to reduce the upswing in premature cord 
clamping.  

Second, Valerie McClain has discovered some conflicts of interest among the two 
researchers that I mentioned that occurred AFTER my interactions with them.  I can attest 
to the fact that both Kay Dewey and Ken Brown were VERY UNHAPPY with my research 
results because, taken out of context, my results could have been misinterpreted to 
suggest that supplementation with food between three and six months was beneficial.  I 
actually never published my results in a peer-reviewed journal because of the danger of 
this misinterpretation.  All my research showed was that clean food was better than dirty 
food amongst those who were supplemented with food between three and six months.  
So, while their subsequent research should be looked at with a very careful eye as to the 
potential conflicts of interest, any research done before my doctorate in 1993 would have 
been done in a period of time when both of them were highly invested in proving that 
solids should NOT be introduced BEFORE six months.  That is really the main consistent 
point of their research at least as far as I was following their studies. 

And I want to make it clear that I do not believe that any research that suggests that 
infants may need iron and zinc around six months of age suggests should lead to any 
conclusions about using supplements.  The conclusions suggest we need to evaluate what 
foods we offer as they are getting used to and playing around with eating.

The most zealous of the zinc advocates, Roger Shrimpton, really was motivated by 
personal experience and, like many, the belief that he found the miracle nutrient.  He 
constantly tried to hand out zinc supplements to other graduate students when they were 
a little under the weather.  Many of us go on a quest for a miracle nutrient forgetting the 
complex interactions with food.

Best, 

Susan E. Burger

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