Barb: Professor Lucas is indeed a well-known researcher from Cambridge, in
the UK., at the Dunne Nutrition Unit.  His work is supported financially by
the formula manufacturers. He has published many times in the leading
medical journals.  I have heard him speak at conferences in favour of a
close liaison between paediatrics and the formula companies, and I
interviewed him 18 months ago for a newspaper when I wrote something about
a conference he was at. Not all paediatricians agree with his stance.  He
argues for a new specialism in paediatrics to be set up, called  neonatal
nutrition. This is less controversial.

I know of the research showing improved growth of pre-term babies when the
breast milk is fortified. I don't think bf supporters (like us on Lactnet)
need regard this as a threat to bf - we are talking very specialist areas
of nutrition here, and it may well be that for some very pre-term babies
their needs for growth outstrip what EBM from their mothers or donors can
provide.  It is of course important they receive whatever breast milk they
can, and that the mothers' lactation is supported so she can continue full
bf as soon as it's possible. IMHO we should support research into the very
particular nutritional needs of pre-term babies, and accept that for tiny
babies who really shouldn't be outside the uterus, very special
circumstances apply  - also IMHO,  relying on commercial and marketing
impulses to fund the research has its drawbacks.

I don't know of any research from Lucas or anyone else that says *term*
babies' growth and cognitive development is improved by fortified breast
milk - I really think something has got very messed up in the translation
here - surely.

Lucas' work on *pre-term* babies demonstrated that cognitive development is
improved when pre-term babies receive breast milk - I *think* (not sure)
that his was one of the first papers to demonstrate a clear link between
'intelligence' and breast milk. The babies in the study were given EBM, and
then tracked for some time,  so it was considered to be the breast milk,
not the breast*feeding* that made the difference.

All this is from memory, but I think I have the basics right. I hope
someone will correct me if needed.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK