*Dear Anne I tried to email you direct but my system wouldn't follow thru.* Here is a listing from an outline that I use frequently in giving my *advantages* talk. Enhances vaccine response. The antibody levels of immunized infants were significantly higher in the breast fed than the formula fed group. These findings are strong evidence that breast feeding enhances the active humoral immune response in the first year of life. Papst, H.F. , Spady, D.W. "Effect of Breast Feeding on Antibody Response to Conjugate Vaccine". Lancet, 1990 The breast fed group had significantly higher antibody levels than two formula fed groups together. Breast fed infants thus showed better serum and secretory responses to perioral and parenteral vaccines than the formula fed, whether with a conventional or low-protein content. Van-Coric, M. "Antibody Responses to Parental & Oral Vaccines Where Impaired by Conventional and Low-Protein Formulas as Compared to Breast Feeding". Acta Paediatr Scand 1990; 79: 1137-42 Human milk can transfer specific or nonspecific immunities to the external mucosal surface of the intestine and possibly to the respiratory tract of the newborn. The acquisition of such passive immunity is particularly important in the early neonatal period when the immune system is immature. Chang, S.J. "Antimicrobial Proteins of Maternal and Cord Sera and Human Milk in Relation to Maternal Nutritional Status". A.M. J. CLIN NUTR, 1990. I hope this helps. I am still working on setting up an informal meeting of FP's at the Anaheim meeting. Nothing is set yet at all but I looks like the AM of Friday would work the best. It looks favorible to get some notive in the newsletter published at the site and I hope to print some flyiers to had out at the OB meetings there. I will try to get one of the hotels at the convention complex to *give* us an area of a restaurant where we could meet for breakfast. I don't want to have to pay for anything but a meal to use a room. I will let you and LACTNET know by the end of this week. . Jon Ahrendsen, MD, FAAFP, LLLI Medical Associate Phone 515-532-2836, FAX 515-532-2523 215 13th Ave. SW Clarion, IA 50525 Email [log in to unmask] .