It is well-known that the Lucas team is sponsored by infant food
manufacturers, and Lucas himself has written defending this. The
study in the BMJ today makes it clear there has been collaboration
between the research unit and manufacturers, though whether or not
there was a direct link to this study is not stated.


>
>This current study in the BMJ states under competing interests, "The Center
>has collaborated with the infant food industry for its outcome studies on
>nutrition."  The study was done on adults who ranged in ages from 20-28.
>Meaning that these adults would have been infants from the years 1973-1981
>(how many infants in the UK were exclusively breastfed during that time
>period?)  The study states exclusive breastfeeding but I saw no definition
>and the study states that the groups were arranged into those who were
>formula fed and those that were breastfed --as stated by recall from mothers.
>I guess no one in the UK ever did both back in those days.


The study says 'exlusive breastfeeding' in one paragraph but I think
it is an error, as the introduction makes it clear there was no
distinction made between types of breastfeeding - a  weakness of the
study, of course. Nor was the introduction of solids looked at. I
heard Lucas on the BBC this morning, and he pointed out that solids
may be a factor in all this.

I think we have to be very careful, and very serious, about how we
respond to this. If we hint we cannot believe any of the conclusions
because of the past funding of Lucas's unit we will be missing a
chance to really look at the study, its methodology and its pointers
for discussion.

The physiological explanation given for the 'stiffening' of the
arteries is at least plausible - that bf sets us up for the diet we
are likely to have as weanlings and adults. Over millennia, this has
meant that bf allows the arteries to prepare themselves for a
low-fat, grain-rich, diet.....not a high-fat processed  Western diet.
So it is, as Lucas said very clearly on the radio this morning, and
which is buried in the paper, today's Western diet that doesn't
'match' the healthy start given by bf. It's modern diets that are at
fault, and not bf.

There is an odd part of Lucas's study: there were no social
differences that correlated with length of breastfeeding, something
that is not found in other work. However, it may be that social
differences were not quite so marked in the late 60s and early 70s.

Other studies have shown *reduced* risk factors for heart disease, of
course, and these must be set against the Lucas fndings.

We also have to remember that there's a whole lot more to bf than
stiffened arteries : )

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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