Nina writes:

>  Artificially fed infants do not grow differently because
>they are getting too little or too much commercial baby milk but because
>they are not getting human milk - artificial milks are not capable of
>sustaining normal infant growth and development.


Of course - and my worry would be that without training and 
education, healthcare professionals will think that getting the ff 
baby to 'match' the weight gain pattern of the bf baby will somehow 
mean the overall growth and development of the ff baby is a 'match' 
for that of the bf baby.

This of course is a result of some settings' ridiculous over-reliance 
on the weight chart as literally the only measure of health.

Susan B. has given a sensitive and comprehensive picture of the way 
several different aspects of feeding and behaviour including the 
mother's assessment, interact to present a whole picture....I only 
see this awareness  rarely and more commonly, because of the way UK 
babies are 'processed' in the first months of life, absolutely 
everything is seen through the lens of the weight chart.

>
>The infant formula industry seems quite interested in developing separate
>charts for babies who are not exclusively breastfed.  Could this be because
>the new growth standards will bring illuminate the health ramifications of
>artificial feeding?  I beg that we fight any such efforts; efforts that will
>obscure the dangers of routine artificial feeding.


Well, if the industry is keen to have separate charts, I am 
immediately suspicious of their motives, of course I am. But like 
you, I ask,

>What response should health professionals make when evaluating the growth of
>individual artificially fed infants?


>  This is perhaps a question for the WHO
>training team.  If I had my druthers, we would dispense with the routine
>plotting of growth altogether and only use this tool for kids who are
>showing signs of being 'at risk' - a girl can dream!


Without the right training and understanding, weight charts and 
plotting growth can do a lot of harm to individual mothers and 
babies' feeding relationship. I  agree that their routine use for 
every baby - which is the case in the UK - has risks, and as Magda 
Sachs' research has shown,  routine use is entirely non-evidence 
based, despite the length of time this intervention has been 'part of 
the furniture'.

I think it is indeed a dream to think we could dispense with them now :(

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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