This seems to me the perfect type of document to "Weissingerize."
It's not that breastfeeding moms and babies have fewer ear infections,
respiratory problems etc. etc. It's that formula fed babies have more  
of all
of those. A lot more!

There also doesn't seem to be anything in the report (or at least this
report of the report) that we don't already know. Who will see this
report? Who will listen?

Naomi Bar-Yam

Begin forwarded message:

> AHRQ has released a new evidence report on breastfeeding and health =
> outcomes.  The report found evidence that breastfeeding decreases =
> infants' and mothers' risk of having many short-term and chronic =
> diseases.
>
> There is good evidence that breastfeeding reduced infants' risk of  
> ear =
> infections by up to 50 percent, serious lower respiratory tract =
> infections by 72 percent, and a skin rash similar to eczema by 42 =
> percent. Children with a family history of asthma who had been  
> breastfed =
> were 40 percent less likely to have asthma, and children who were  
> not =
> prone to asthma had a 27 percent reduced risk compared to those  
> children =
> who were not breastfed. The risk of developing type1 diabetes was =
> reduced by about 20 percent. These benefits were seen in infants who =
> were breastfed for three or more months. Breastfeeding also reduced  
> the =
> risk of type 2 diabetes by 39 percent compared to those who were not =
> breastfed.
>
> The report also found that breastfeeding was associated with fewer =
> episodes of diarrhea during infancy, decreased incidence of  
> childhood =
> leukemia, and decreased deaths from sudden infant death syndrome.  
> The =
> report found no clear relationship between breastfeeding and  
> improvement =
> in IQ. In premature infants, breastfeeding decreased the occurrence  
> of =
> necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious gastrointestinal infection that =
> often results in death. =20
>
> For health outcomes in mothers, there is good evidence that women  
> who =
> breastfed their infants had up to a 12 percent reduced risk of type  
> 2 =
> diabetes for each year they breastfed. Breastfeeding decreased the  
> risk =
> of ovarian cancer by up to 21 percent. Breastfeeding also decreased  
> the =
> risk of breast cancer by up to 28 percent in those whose lifetime =
> duration of breastfeeding was 12 months or longer. Women who did not =
> breastfeed their infants were more likely to have postpartum  
> depression, =
> but unmeasured factors-such as depression that was undiagnosed  
> prior to =
> giving birth-may have increased the rate of depression seen in this =
> group. Breastfeeding did not increase the risk of fractures due to =
> osteoporosis. The effect of breastfeeding on a woman's weight could  
> not =
> be determined based on the available studies.
>

------------------------------------------
Naomi Bar-Yam Ph.D.
Executive Director
Mothers' Milk Bank of New England

[log in to unmask]
617-964-6676
------------------------------------------






             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
Mail all commands to [log in to unmask]
To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or [log in to unmask])
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet or ([log in to unmask])
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]