>And why oh why don't the health workers feed the mothers the formula and save
>two lives, not one.
The majority of adults in the world are lactose-intolerant and would be
made sick (nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, gas, painful abdominal cramps) from
drinking formula, or cow's milk. Mothers may need more calories, more
protein, they don't need it from formula.
>After all more women in under developed countries feed
>their babies 5 minutes every half an hour or so and we tend to think one long
>feed every two or three hours is normal.
There is huge variety in how people breastfeed their infants, from 3-4
times an hour for a few minutes each time, to the 3-4 hour gap with a 30
minute feed each time. The composition of human milk implies that the
former is the physiological norm, but babies seem to be very adaptable, and
SOME do fine on a 3-4 hour schedule.
I certainly am not in favor of starting solids really early in populations
where the mothers are severely malnourished, as chances are the solids will
be contaminated, of low nutrient density, and contribute to sickness in the
child. Feed the mother for all sorts of reasons -- whether it increases
her milk production or not, whether it changes the composition of her milk
or not, whether it results in better growth and health in her children or
not. The "haves" of the world are morally obligated (IMNSHO) to feed the
severely malnourished -- even if ALL it means is that the mother feels
better, can work harder, doesn't get as sick as often, feeds her baby more
often, or whatever.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. email:
[log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX 77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
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