Hmm.  Karleen asks, "According to the US CDC data half of babies
breastfeeding at 6 months of age have never been exposed to infant formula,
not once in their life....that's an impressive stat, does that gel with your
experience?"

I'd have to say:  No, it does not.

I don't know what the "real" number is (bearing in mind that whatever number
"it" is, it is no where near what it should be).  I can see
how studies using data collected under retrospective methods present
veracity challenges.  Yikes -- this is why I am not a researcher and
statistician; these factors easily escape me.

The original poster sought information to share with a colleague who asked
about studies showing BF rates.  It is perfectly valid to question any
study's methods, and conclusions drawn based on data derived by those
methods.  But where are you getting 5% -- or is the number just arbitrary,
and offered to make your point?

Liz Brooks JD IBCLC FILCA
Wyndmoor, PA, USA

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