>Has anyone considered that the only intervention here that actually 
>drove the "expected" outcome was that the ELF mothers were taught 
>that their babies' tummies are very small and that supplementation 
>needs to be very limited if it is ever used? That instead of being 
>fed ounces from a bottle, they were taught to feed ccs from a 
>syringe? That it was clearly communicated that supplementation is an 
>intervention done with teaching and awareness and has an end time? 
>That the treatment of the intervention was the key piece of 
>teaching, not the intervention itself?



That is an excellent point, Jennifer - the intervention that appeared 
to make the difference could be the sharing of information and 
awareness-raising, *not* the actual formula.

This is quite a weakness in the study protocol.  I hope people on 
this list who teach research might use this as an example for 
students in 'how to read a paper' exercises!

(In fact, the small amounts of formula given could so easily have 
been colostrum, anyway, if the babies needed any intervenion at 
all.....and we've been round that particular block a few times now)


Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
-- 

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