It has ocurred to me that perhaps there is a correlation between the protective outcomes regarding HIV when babies are exclusively breastfed vs those who received mixed feeds, and the currently discussed asthma study. It appears from Jay's post that virtually all of the babies in the study had mixed feeds, so we do not really know how these babies would compare to a true breastfeeding group.

It does, however, raise very interesting questions in my mind about the informational vs immunological aspects of human milk. If we assume that there is a kind of systems instuction manual that is present in the first feeds (almost like a computer program tutorial) that lays down the framework for future functioning, what would the results be when this information is conflicting vs consistent?

As a matter of fact, it is not very different from what is happening in India where the genetic expectation of a particular pattern of growth is being short-circuited by a Western diet.  Or the research I posted earlier about how babies are programmed in utero to manage a certain pattern of growth dependent upon the mother's diet and the dire consequences when that growth is forced to speed up.

I think there is so much we have not even yet sought to understand about the impact of gene expression, very early diet (in utero, and in the early hours, days, weeks and months of life) and the life-long funtioning of the human system. It is as if in my intuitive mind I can see the connections, but I cannot yet find the words to even ask the questions correctly. What I am certain of is that the questions asked in the studies we have been talking about are meaningless b/c they have been framed so poorly.
Jennifer Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA

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