> just an exceprt from Current Issues in Brfdg: Nurture or Nature, Nutr and MD Jan 97--"Despite potential benefits, human milk does not meet all preterm  infants'nutrient requirements."(????):'( >>

This sounds very much like the statement made by Dr. Allan Lucas, of IQ
study fame, when he came to my town on tour promoting a premie discharge
formula *that he invented.*  He was sponsored by Ross.  He told of his
famous IQ study, how babies fed regular formula scored 5 points lower on
IQ tests than babies fed special premie formulas.  All of the doctors in
the audience were VERY impressed.  I was thrilled at what I expected to
come next-- the information that babies fed human milk instead of
formula scored much higher on IQ tests.  BUT, he never bothered to share
this little piece of information.  He went on to "dis" human milk, using
a comment similar to the one above, among others.

BTW, one fact overlooked in the IQ study is the statistic that BOYS fed
regular formula instead of special premie formula scored a full 13
points lower on IQ tests.  Now doesn't that make your skin crawl?  Think
about the general premature population, and then think about that
statistic.  Think about boys in the inner city with it's inferior
educational opportunities.  ...I digress.

The main thrust of his talk was that after premies are discharged from
hospital, "we have to worry about whether they will be fed properly--"
thus, *special discharge formulas.*  It wasn't lost on me that another
way to put it was "We can't trust these mothers to feed their babies
right."  Well, "duh" if staff spend the early weeks discouraging the
formation of healthy attachments and feelings of confidence in the
ability to care for one's own child!

Dr. Lucas made the following statements about breastfeeding:
"We have no idea whether sending them home breastfeeding is beneficial
or
not."
"There is really no difference in growth between breastfed and bottle
fed
babies- in fact the bottle fed babies may even grow better."

"Since babies aren't meant to be born too soon, we really don't have a
good
way to feed them, so (get this): if it turns out that human milk meets
their
needs it is almost a coincidence."

He seemed to gloss over the benefits of breastmilk by saying that it is
somewhat protective for NEC, and IS better tolerated by the baby but "at
the end of the day it does not meet the needs of babies."

Obviously, not only do we have to be concerned about who OWNS these
babies, we also must be wary about WHO STANDS TO GAIN, FINANCIALLY, by
feeding them.

Sue Jacoby, California, who has looked into the eyes of corporate greed,
and it was ugly.