Magda Sachs quoted an earlier post (on something off topic, TIC) ".....The baby also gets to suck on a few drops of wine as part of the ceremony when it is over, which often seems to help them sleep a bit." She added: "This means that the baby has ended then, if not before, the period of exclusive breastfeeding." I think it means merely that the baby has tasted something other than breast milk for the first time, comparable to a baby who may be given paracetamol syrup following casting for club feet, when acute pain is at its height. I don't think Jewish boy babies who are ritually subjected to an off topic procedure continue to get drops of wine at regular intervals from that moment on. Conjecture on my part, I admit, and I stand prepared to be corrected by those in the know. Of course, both substances will have a quantifiable effect on the gut mucosa, on the taste buds, and on the life experiences of the babies. It just seems a bit drastic to me to call it the end of 'the period of exclusive breastfeeding'. Incidentally, my ward now gives babies 2-5 ml of 30 percent glucose solution by syringe a couple of minutes before they have blood drawn by heel stick, for PKU tests, bilirubin measurements, even blood sugars. It does reduce crying, according to the staff. This started after I went on leave to my new job. My reservations about this treatment have to do with the effects on gut mucosa, though I am very much in favor of taking the baby's comfort into account when performing any kind of procedure about which the baby has no choice. I have not viewed these babies as having 'ended... the period of exclusive breastfeeding.' Should I? What do you all think? wondering Rachel Myr Kristiansand, Norway *********************************************** 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