Hi folks I had a call yesterday on a parent baby info line. Mom had some questions about a can of ABM that had floating chunks of what she thought was milk in it and wanted to know if she should use it! I showed tremendous restraint and told her to return it and get the store to take them all of that batch off the shelf! She went on to tell me her two and a half week old had already suffered severe constipation, as well as colic!! I explained formula did that especially if it was iron fortified, which it was. She then told me her pediatritians advice was to give the baby diluted formula instead of 50:50 25:75!!!! The temptation to tell her if she had chosen to breastfed etc. was enormous. Now my question is about the pediatric recommendations to give iron fortified ABM from birth. (It is the practice for Canadian Peds.)I believe it is based on some research that demonstrated certain groups of infants contrary to normal physiology were anemic in the first few months. I seem to recall that one of our Canadian nutrition researchers was either funded by an ABM company to conduct research on the topic or funded to present findings at a symposium. I know the ABM companies do not like making different ABM's because of cost. Is this a world wide recommendation? If other countries Peds have this policy what is the research basis for it? Did the ABM companies have a hand in the research? Why don't pediatritions look at the effect it has on infants gastric upset, constipation and their families the potential for abuse when an infant is so screaming from colic all the time, and finally what about the risk they are taking dishing out advice to mothers to further dilute ABM? Comments and information greatly appreciated. Susan Moxley IBCLC Ottawa, Canada, [log in to unmask]