Anna Padilla (hope I spelled that right, Anna) wanted info to document an
affect of bfg on child abuse.  I lost my copy of the recent article from J.
Fam. Practice which directly references this issue. Julie Moy is out of
town, but will post when she returns.  Or you can check the archives as I
think I posted it earlier.  Also take a look at Mata,L. et al: Promotion of
breastfeeding in Costa Rica:  The Puriscal study, p0p 55-69; in Jelliffe,
DB, Jelliffe, EFP, Eds: Programmes to Promote Breastfeeding. Oxford: Oxford
Univ. Press, 1988.

During a seven yr period, one of the largest hospt. in Costa Rica
prospectively followed 77,847 infants in a project which sought to reverse
trends toward formula feeding and infant care in central nursery in immed.
pp.  A return to rooming-in and breastfeeding was accompanied by a
significant decline in the rate of abandoned infants.  During the same time
period, socio-economic factors nationally were contributing to an increase
in abandonment of infants in the gen. population.  Linking optimal birth
experience with an improvement in duration of bfg, the researchers noted "a
sharp decline in the rate of abandoned newborns, whether ill or healthy: and
observation of great public health significance." (p 66)

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Private Practice, Austin, Texas
Owner, Lactnews On-Line Conference Page
http://moontower.com/bwc/lactnews.html