>The authors found that
* The proportions of children exclusively breastfed were approximately 47%
at
7 days after birth, 32% at 2 months, 19% at 4 months, and 10% at 6 months;<

What definition of exclusive breastfeeding was used for compiling these
stats?  Frankly I nearly fell off my chair when I saw them.  Way way higher
than what I think we have in the UK.  Here the govt does not collect ebf
stats in their huge 5 yearly surveys of infnat feeding practices, but, for
the 1995 stats, I worked out that the highest *possible* percentage of women
ebf at 6 months (still bf at 6 mo and not yet offering babies solid food)
was 3%.  This takes no account of water, juices, or non-human milk.

Also, as Clara Aarts and co-authors suggested we should not be really
interested so much in the 24 hour snapshot of ebf but be seeking to collect
information on the indicator they dubbed 'exclusive breastfeeding from
birth'.

Another thing which struck me looking at the abstract of this study is that
the data was collected retrospectively.  Maybe even just once for the whole
period?  I cannot remember the reference, but I am sure that retrospective
data is much less reliable.

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

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