Newsweek, May 26, 1997, lead article on asthma, pg.58-64

Pg.61...."But the gene pool hasn't changed dramatically in the past few
decades.  And as Wedner observes, "there is no gene that says, 'If you
change this, you will wheeze.'  Something in the environment must have
changed."  ((duh))

"Asthma isn't usually a problem in preindustrial societies, regardless of
their natural surroundings.  But when development sets in, asthma quickly
follows.  Dr. Hal Nelson of Denver's National Jewish Medical Center cites a
1991 study of children in Zimbabwe.  Only one in 1000 of those living in
rural villages suffered from obstructed airways.  Yet asthma plagued one in
17 (5.8%)  of those  in a prosperous (bottlefed???) section of the capital
Harare.  Researchers have documented the same pattern among the Aboriginal
people in Kenya, South Africa, Papua, New Guinea, New Zealand and
Australia.  Even within Western socities, increasing urbanization seems to
make people more and more vulnerable.........."

"If asthma is a disease of civilization, the question becomes: what aspects
of modern life are to blame?  Air pollution  might seem an obvivous
suspect........outdoor air pollution.......indoor air
pollution........fewer childhood infections than ever before....an immune
system with no serious work to do........."  ((An immune system that wasn't
'turned on' at birth?))

Be sure and read this article.  I know I see breastfeeding as the panacea
for EVERYTHING, but......Be sure and read the planned environmental 8 year
study on page 64 with 500 high risk newborns........I wonder what they'r
gonna feed 'em?????

I wonder what the asthma rate is in a country like Sweden where so many
moms BF.

Sincerely, Pat in SNJ, USA, who works in the inner city with lots of
bottlefed asthmatic kids!