>As for counselling my
patients, I really don't see it as a positive intervention to point out to
a mother that her child's asthma, or recurrent ear infections, or
........(fill in the blank), may be due to the formula-feeding or lack of
breastfeeding, except in one situation: *the mother is pregnant again* >>


I have to agree with Jennifer about this - mothers have a great deal of
influence on their friends and family and will reassure them that
formula-feeding has no effect on the baby's health, or else their doctor
would have told them so. Sometimes when I have shared information about the
higher rates of ear infections and other illnesses in formula fed babies,
women will tell me that this can't be true or their doctor would have
mentioned it when their babies experienced these problems. Women hear what
their doctors don't say, as well as what they do say. If feeding isn't
mentioned, they assume it isn't important.

Teresa Pitman
Guelph, Ontario

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