For those not using AOL.  Interesting!

Ruth Scuderi, IBCLC, RLC
Westfield, MA

----------------------------

Study Links Early Vitamin Use to Asthma



CHICAGO (July 6) - A  study of more than 8,000 infants found a possible link
between the use of  multivitamin supplements and the risk of asthma and food
allergies, researchers  said on Tuesday.

The report from Children's National Medical Center in Washington and other
research centers said the reason for the apparent link was not clear. It
suggested more study is required to find if the link is a factor in an increase  in
asthmatic and allergic disease in recent years.

The research was based  on data from a government study that began following
mothers and infants in  1991.

It found "an association between early infant multivitamin intake  and asthma
among black infants and an association between early infant  multivitamin
intake and food allergies in formula-fed infants."

It also  found an increased risk of food allergies among all children given
multivitamins  at age 3.

The researchers said more than half of all toddlers in the  United States are
taking multivitamins, which are also often added to infant  formula. The
report said animal tests have found certain vitamins may cause cell  changes that
can increase the odds of an allergic response when certain antigens  are
encountered.

If the line of research bears out, "recommendations for  vitamin
supplementation and the actual multivitamin formulation may need to be  changed to reduce
the risks of allergy and asthma," the study said.

There  could be a number of reasons why black children had the higher asthma
risk,  including "physician-parent communication issues," the authors said in
urging  further research into the issue.

The study appeared in the July issue of  Pediatrics, the journal of the
American Academy of  Pediatrics.

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

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html