I heard Christine Hoey give her report on the Kaiser study at the ILCA
conference in Kansas City (3 years ago?).  I understood the "flaw" to be
that the stats were based on a respective study--only charts were
checked, no contact with the patients involved. Also, charts were checked
for babies bf at least 6 mos., but there was no definition of "breastfed"
(exclusive breastfeeding?, breastfeeding and formula feeding?,
breastfeeding once a day? more? etc.).  She stressed that she did the
study hoping to show savings with breastfeeding to justify adding an LC
position in her Kaiser system.  She also said the figures she had were
only for her Kaiser region (S. Carolina, I think) and might not be true
elsewhere.

At the time I heard her she was trying to replicate the study, but doing
it prospectively (following the babies this time, getting info from the
parents, etc).  Even if the figures didn't come out to be such a super
medical savings for breastfeeding patients, there still was a savings.  I
think everyone jumped on the $1400 figure because there was finally
something concrete we could say about medical savings with breastfeeding.
We all know that breastfeeding makes healthier babies, now we could say
how much healthier.

Hoping I remembered this right.

Pat Bucknell, IBCLC
Avon Lake, Ohio
where we did our family traditional Christmas tree cutting today--but in
65+ degree temperature!!

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