Ellen writes:
<This NIH News Release is available online at:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2004/niddk-24.htm
Strange that the word breastfeeding is never mentioned, don't you think?>
Well, yes and no. No one else seems to be interested but the likes of us!

It crossed my mind to wonder if anyone has ever attempted any
retrospective research on some of the many, many thousands of children
whose mothers have followed the long-time LLL recommendations (and now
the AAP's) for exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, and continued
breastfeeding with appropriate solids as long as mother and baby desired.
I'm sure those mothers still remember that well enough to give an
accurate feeding history at least for infancy. I do, and look back on it
with great gratitude to LLL. The number of such children in the last 47+
years must be a humongous number by now.
Of course, I know it wouldn't be a "random" sample. In fact, it might
fall more into a category of 'self-selected'. I don't think it could be
any more 'self-serving' than the 'research' often sponsored by formula
companies, etc. But it might be instructive to at least find out if many
of these children had outright obesity as grade schoolers, teens and/or
young adults. And was the % rate as great as those who may have been
partially or short-term breastfed versus those who got formula from the
beginning?
Considering the genetic material and food habits I passed on to my
children now ranging on down from 52 to 33, I am thinking specifically of
the two, now 44 and 35 whom I breastfed in this pattern . One had a few
chubby years as a preteen but string-beaned out, and both have been
tending toward obesity as they get older, but working successfully on
controlling it.
But they have had not nearly so much problem as some of my others who
were fed differently. (And then, there is the athletic one with his dad's
physique, who was weaned from the breast at 5 days, and who pays close
attention to what he eats and is faring very well at 47.)
Does this idea seem too far-fetched to those with research-oriented
minds, given the thousands who were fed that way as infants?
Jean
************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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