Hi all,

I am preparing to give a talk on diabetes to some family practice residents
and have been reading a book on diabetes in pregnancy.

The book "Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy" second edition c1995, states
several places that IDDM has been associated with intake of cow milk in
infancy and lack of breast milk.  Then I read....

" ..it has been proposed that neonatal and early infancy exposure to cow milk
proteins may lead to initiation of the immunologic destruction of B-cells.
 If this is correct, then the frequency of type 1 diabetes might be reduced
by preventing exposure to cow milk proteins during early life, which would be
a "true" primary prevention strategy.  This possibility will be tested in a
multinational Scandanavian-Canadian  randomized prospective trial involving
3,000-4,000  infants.  In this study, newborns with first-degree relatives
with type I diabetes will receive either a formula free of cow milk or a
conventional cow milk-based formula.  The intervention will be for a 9-month
period, with follow-up for 10 years."

This is the citation that was given.

 Akerblom et al: The case for elimination of cow's milk in early infancy in
prevention of type 1 diabetes: the Finnish experience. Diabetes Metab. Rev.
9:269.1993.

Sigh.... too bad they missed the point!  I have not seen the primary
reference (above).  Let me see, they will give soy formula instead and then
increase the phytoestrogens which will then lead to some other problem....
 Why can't researchers ever get the point that species specific food just
might be the best?

Sadly,
Martha Brower, who asks....."If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people
jumping for joy?"