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Subject:
From:
"Lynnette Hafken, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:44:45 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
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http://www.slate.com/id/2150354/

I am quoting the relevant part:

"In June, the New York Times ran an article headlined, "Breast-Feed  
or Else." It suggested that experts believe that "breast-fed babies  
are at lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome and serious  
chronic diseases later in life, including asthma, diabetes, leukemia  
and some forms of lymphoma." Yet, the article never mentions the NNT  
for breast-feeding to prevent these scary diseases. Neither does any  
general-interest press article in LexisNexis, a database. There's a  
reason for this omission: The NNTs are astronomically high.  
Reasonable women might think that breast-feeding isn't worth the  
trouble—a conclusion that you don't want drawn if you're promoting  
breast-feeding at any cost."

Fascinating article, but they lost me when they got to  
breastfeeding.  Why is breastfeeding being lumped in with expensive  
medical treatments that have risky side effects?  However, I'm not  
sure how best to argue the issue of NNT being very high for diseases  
that BF reduces the risk of.  The best I can come up with, which is  
kind of nebulous, is that breastfeeding is a whole system designed to  
provide perfect nutrition, immunities, growth factors, and other  
health and psychological benefits to babies and mothers.  It benefits  
all babies and mothers in ways we don't fully understand, not just  
the small number of babies who avoid lymphoma by ingesting breastmilk.

I would love to hear what other Lactnetters think of this.

Warmly,
Lynnette Hafken, MA, LLLL, IBCLC
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