I am new to Lactnet .  Hello everyone!

I would like to comment on the NEJM  smoking study  (published as a
letter to the editor on Nov. 19,1998) which " looked at breast milk
samples taken from 5 women. 7 adults who sniffed the milk identified the
breast milk of the smokers as smelling "stronger" or "more like
cigarettes" than samples taken later."  When I read this study, my first
thought was "Can a study with such a small sample size be considered
valid by the scientific community? An important factor in any study of
this nature is the size of the study.  As a professional, I read this
study with skepticism because of the sample size.  However, I do worry
about the impact such a "casual" study will have upon the thousands of
mothers who read it in the newspaper as the ultimate word on the subject.
 Quite frankly, it makes me mad that such a random and minor study can
have such far-rteaching and long-lasting effects on people.. Why is the
"Monell Chemical Senses Center" in Philadelphia, who published the
research, putting it out for the public view?  Just my two cents...

Elaine Mazgelis, RD,IBCLC in Boston, MA

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