The title and opening paragraphs made me angry, but the author seems to have got the message eventually..breastfeeding IS normal! Norma Ritter, IBCLC private practice in Big Flats, NY [log in to unmask] http://www.docguide.com/dgc.nsf/news/8C4849351AD82FB68525690B00566B03?Ope nDocument&id=5A14188C462FEA08852568E40038AB89&c=Paediatrics&count=10 Breast Milk Best For Baby Despite Initial Slower Weight Gain DAVIS, CA -- June 27, 2000 -- Researchers have found that over the long term, exclusive breast-feeding for the first four months of life does not affect growth, though a short-term lag in weight gain occurs over the first eight to 11 months. In The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Hediger et al. used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) to study the effect breast-feeding had on subsequent growth patterns in infants and children ages four to 71 months. Breast-feeding confers unique immunological, psychological, growth and developmental benefits, and has been recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics as the exclusive food source for U.S. infants for up to six months after birth. The study sample consisted of 5594 white, black and Mexican-American infants, of whom 21 percent were exclusively breast-fed for four months, 10 percent partially breast-fed for four months, 24 percent breast-fed for less than four months, and 45 percent never breast-fed. Infants who were exclusively breast-fed for at least four months weighed an average of 0.2 kg less at eight to 11 months than infants who were not exclusively breast-fed. By ages 12-23 months, the discrepancy in infant weight and weight-for-length for the exclusively breast-fed infants had disappeared. Similarity in growth status between breast-fed and other infants persisted until the children had reached age five. Because of concern that mothers might be advised mistakenly to supplement with formula or stop breast-feeding to encourage infant weight gain, the World Health Organization has proposed developing new international infant growth references using breast-fed infants as the norm. In examining the demographics and maternal factors of the study, the authors found that infants and children who were exclusively breast-fed for at least four months were more likely to be white, born to older mothers (over 35) who were nonsmokers living in the west census region, and had a high education level. Never breast-fed infants and children were more likely to be black, small for gestational age, born to teenaged mothers who were smokers living in the south census region and had less than a high school education. The birth weights of exclusively and partially breast-fed infants were, on average, 100 g larger than those of never-breast-fed infants. ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. *********************************************** 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