Maureen Minchin wrote:
I
>personally have yet to meet a woman who was artificially-fed or
>badly-breastfed as a child, who has not had problems with some degree of
>food intolerance in herself or her children. It takes generations to
>incubate allergy in to the degree we now see in the west. Genetic
>disposition is contributory but not a determining factors in the severity
>or fact of allergy.

Maureen, I am so glad you have brought this up. Since becoming interested
in food intolerance, partly because of my own family, and partly because of
what am seeing with mothers who call me or other NMAA Counsellors for help,
I am thoroughly convinced that food intolerance is THE most common root of
feeding/fussy baby/colic/reflux problems we see, at least here in Western
Australia.

So often I get a call from another Counsellor who feels she has run out of
ideas for a mum with a low-gaining/difficult to settle/you-name-it baby. I
began to think that I was actively looking for intolerance problems because
I kept finding them! I thought I was becoming paranoid! But I just can't
deny the fact that so many have all the hallmarks of intolerance, but
*nobody* else has even suggested to them to look at this before. Some of
the babies have been hospitalised, fed formula, had all manner of tests
done, while others have been through 'sleep programs', or dosed with drugs,
when if a simple 'avoid dairy products (usually) in mum's diet, and keep
breastfeeding' policy is instituted, the baby miraculously recovers! Very
frustrating, especially for the parents who have often had to watch their
beloved baby suffering for so long, even though they have sought medical
help. Several recent clients of my private practice have had low/no-gaining
babies, yet good output, and I am convinced that food intolerance is behind
it. Everyone else tells them to wean or at least comp with formula because
they 'obviously have not got enough milk', but there is nothing wrong with
their actual supplies.

This topic really does 'push a button' with me these days! Have others seen
this happening in their practices or their counselling, particularly those
seeing mothers past the early establishment of breastfeeding phase?

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Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   mailto:[log in to unmask]
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