Karleen,

Yes he did respond to that issue with the following:

"The issue of the infants receiving formula feeds in hospital was addressed
in the paper.  This issue is also addressed in correspondence in the Lancet
which will be published shortly [his letter was dated Jan 6, 2003--but I did
not receive it until 2 weeks ago]. A further table will be published in the
Lancet giving data for those children in whom breastfeeding was (with the
exception of the first 2 or 3 days in the hospital) reported to be exclusive.
 As you will see when you read that response, even in those infants who were
exclusively breastfed for 3 months or more, there was no evidence of a
protective effect relating to atopy and asthma."

I have not yet seen the correspondence in the Lancet issue in which his
remarks are based.  I think his answer begs the question of exclusivity since
these babies were given infant formula as newborns in the hospital.   This
study was about infants in the 70's.  Who reported that infants were
exclusively breastfed? It was a nursing program called the New Zealand
Plunket Nurse Program.  What was their definition of exclusive breastfeeding?
 The Royal New Zealand Plunket Society was founded by Dr. Truby King in the
early 1900's to provide safe formulas to infants.  I have to wonder about the
data and the definitions. Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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