Perhaps 5 years I was asked (told) by one of the largest Boston-area birthing hospitals to stop teaching expectant parents that powdered formula is not a sterile product & should be avoided for all newborns. They claimed I was scaring parents into paying a little bit more for ready to feed or concentrated infant formula when powder was cheaper, or when powder was what was provided by WIC.

I felt vindicated this October when the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study on the topic with an official recommendation to avoid powdered infant formula for all babies under 2 months. See:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/10/02/peds.2011-3855.abstract?papetoc

Prevention of Invasive Cronobacter Infections in Young Infants Fed Powdered Infant Formulas  



Just because the AAP prints it doesn’t mean most pediatricians *know it*, but at least now I/we have a credible reference to point to when we’re asked to back up our statement, that deals with healthy, term infants in the community.



CONCLUSIONS: Cronobacter can infect healthy, term (not just hospitalized preterm) young infants. Invasive Cronobacter infection is extremely unusual in infants not fed PIF/HMF. RTFs are commercially sterile, require minimal preparation, and are competitively priced. The exclusive use of BM and/or RTF for infants <2 months old should be encouraged.



Nancy

Nancy Holtzman, RN IBCLC CPN

VP Clinical Content & eLearning



Isis. Parenting Starts Here.

781.429.1419

@nancyholtzman

[log in to unmask]

www.isisparenting.com







             ***********************************************



Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html

To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]

Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]

COMMANDS:

1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail

2. To start it again: set lactnet mail

3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet

4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome