Kathy wrote, " It isn't just a matter of people giving root beer or
tea because
they've run out of formula or don't know any better."

I will second Kathy's assertion.  In the area of the south where I am,
I often see mothers in public with full bottles of formula prominently
sticking out of their diaper bags giving their young babies (<6
months) bottles of juice, Coke (actually Pepsi seems to be the popular
thing), iced tea, whatever.

I have asked several of these moms WHY they do this and their response
has invariably been "because the baby likes it."  It's definitely NOT
a question of not having enough formula-- some of these women are very
well-off (I saw the wife of a pediatrician here in town give her baby
soda in a bottle at a meeting we were both in!!!!!!)-- it's a matter
of custom, unfortunately.

FWIW, my husband was fed coke in his bottles, one a day, from 2 weeks
on.  :-^

Teresa G in NC

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