Laureen,

Your post was of interest to me, as the author you quoted, Mitchell EA, is
the third author of the article by Ford RPK et al, Breastfeeding and the
risk of sudden infant death syndrome, International Journal of Epidemiology
1993; 22(5):885-890.  This article states, very persuasively, "being
exclusively breastfed at any of the observed time intervals differentiated
between the SIDS victims and the control infants, giving them about a 50%
reduction in the chance of SIDS. The implication of this is that more
positive promotion and active community support is needed to further
enhance the level and length of exclusive breastfeeding.  Added to a
smoke-free pregnancy, and avoidance of the prone sleep position, mothers
can now be given very positive advice on how to significantly reduce the
risk of their baby succumbing to cot death." (p.889)

The authors stated that these results were significant and persisted when
confounding variables were taken into account.

So what exactly changed between 1993 and 1997, using the same data?

Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC and LLL leader in Madison, WI
e-mail address:   [log in to unmask]