Now I have heard it all!!!! Denise G Hewson RN IBCLC Katy, Texas Little pill sweetens mothers' milk SCIENCE: Dietary experts identify compound which improves taste of breastmilk while retaining essential nutrients. 4/1/2000 By JEFF DOBB The Associated Press A controversial breakthrough in lactational dietetics has produced a pill which can add appetizing flavors to breastmilk. It is expected that infants who reject the breast will find the new flavors appealing. The research adds to an expanding body of evidence that breastmilk is the preferred form of infant nutrition in the first six months— however many women resort to formula when their infant rejects the breast. It also provides evidence for the theory that exposure to greater varieties of flavoring agents in the breastmilk can reduce the chances of obesity in later life, the researchers say. The researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, built their study on an already known quirk of human anatomy: Certain strongly flavored substances pass through the mother's milk and are ingested by her baby. Scientists believe that women's cyclic variation in progesterone levels; — and the female sex hormones such as testosterone that are found in both sexes — create an unpleasant taste in the breastmilk of premenstrual women which may account for infants rejecting the breast. In the study published today in the journal Nature, the researchers interviewed 720 women at three major hospitals in Los Angeles, asked them their breastfeeding plans, and tested their milk before and after a course of the new pill. The milk of mothers in the control study who ate a bland diet altered significantly at various times of their cycle — with the higher hormone levels creating a bitter taste in their milk. — The milk of the mothers who had taken the new pill was pleasantly vanilla flavored with no detectable variation throughout the woman's cycle. The pills which are subject to FDA approval will initally be available in three basic flavors, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry however researchers are also working on cinnamon and banana flavors and hope to branch into featured flavors such as egg nog for the festive season. The researchers then went a step further, enabling the mothers to benefit from their discovery. The pills are chewable, allowing the mother to experience the flavor before it passes through her milk to her baby. Most women reported the pills to be pleasant tasting and "not too sweet" Paula Williamson, an adviser with the National Association of Pediatric Nutritionists, said some mothers would welcome such findings because "They know breast is best for their babies and they feel like they have failed when their baby rejects the breast due to the changes in the taste fo their milk." She said this would be particularly welcomed by mothers who wish to enjoy spicy foods and fear their babies will no longer want to nurse. "This pill will mask the taste of garlic and other flavors babies may find unpleasant" But she said ultimately the question of flavoring mother's milk cause should not bear on the debate over breast versus bottle. "This is simply another option" she said. *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html