I just finished reading a journal article about diarrheal mortality in US
infants.  First I scanned it for a reference to breastfeeding.  Then I read
every word and even between the lines to find any reference at all to
breastfeeding as preventative against diarrheal deaths.  Their
conclusion:

"Infants of VLBW (very low birth weight) are at increased risk for
diarrheal deaths and new efforts are required to understand and
improve the diagnosis and therapy for diarrhea among infants.  For
LNBW (low and normal birth weight) infants, diarrheal deaths remain a
social problem and efforts need to focus on improved education and
home-based rehydration therapy for children whose mothers fit the
high-risk profile and who may lack adequate access to health care."

In 1991 there were 257 diarrhea-associated deaths in the US in infants
27 days to 11 months old.  Factors associated with these deaths include
young maternal age, less maternal education, African-American race,
unmarried mother and less prenatal care.  Now, aren't these the same
characteristics of many women who choose not to breastfeed?  The
authors really missed a very important issue.  They never even looked at
how the infants were fed but I'll bet they weren't breastfed!  Their
objectives include examining specific interventions to prevent these
deaths.  It's simple!  These high risk infants need human milk.

Diarrheal Mortality in US Infants: Influence of Birth Weight on Risk Factors
for Death.  Umesh D. Parashar et al.  Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.
1998:152:47-51.

Rachelle Lessen, RD, IBCLC     mailto:[log in to unmask]
Philadelphia, PA  USA   (where it is incredibly warm for Dec)