Kathy Dettwyler (hello Kathy!) asks about a large Carribean study re:  an
affect on reduction of child abuse from bfg.  In the Jelliffe's book:
Programmes to Promote Breastfeeding, 1988, Oxford Univer. Press, there is a
chapt. by Leonard Mata, Promotion of breastfeeding in Costa Rica:  the
Puriscal study.  It observed 77,847 infants born in a poor, inner city
hospt. over a 7 yr per to see if promotion of early bonding exper (ie early
contact for bfg, rooming in) would influence bfg rates.  It did (early
weanings-- defined as prior to 9 mo --  were reduced by about 1/2 in the
early contact group.)  Most interestingly to me,  the rate of child
abandonment went way down in the study group.  Tying together the concepts
of optimal birth and extended bfg the researcher's noted "a sharp decline in
the rate of abandoned newborns, whether ill or healthy:  an observation of
great public health significance." pg. 66

I mentioned this article to Dr. Klaus after his talk 2 yrs ago in
Scottsdale,  He had not heard of this article, tucked away as it was in the
Jelliffe's book.  He got very excited about it because of the size of the
sample, and references it in his new edition of Bonding, which might be
another good source for you if you are looking for more refs.  He pulls a
lot of this type thing together in that book.
Hope this helps.
Barbara