Dear Lactnet Friends:

As always, Susan Burger is a wealth of thoughtful and researched commentary.

The alcohol research isn't strong.

Dr. Julie Mennella's study showing that babies ingested less alcohol when
the mother had drunk before that feed had 12 (twelve) babies in it. 11
babies took less milk, 1 baby took more. We know that babies don't take the
same amount of milk at each feed. So what does her analysis of baseline
intake mean, in light of the variable amount that babies ingest from feed
to feed?  12 is hardly a statistically significant sample.

Dr. Ruth Little showed that babies had a 1-point lower score on a Bayley
assessment test at age 1 year when their mothers averaged a drink a day.
She was unable to replicate those results when she did the study again and
followed dyads for 18 months.

We do know that alcohol is lethal in pregnancy; but the same is not true
with breastfeeding. We know that she shouldn't sleep with her baby after
she's ingested any alcohol. We know that the lactating breast may modify
her metabolism so her blood alcohol level is lower than expected after a
drink. And of course, we don't want alcoholics or heavy drinkers parenting.

The Institutes of Medicine says that a mother can have 2 units of alcohol
in 24 hours; a unit is defined: 1 to 1.5 ounces of spirits, one 12-ounce
beer, or 4 ounces of wine. Dr. Ruth Lawrence has been quoted as saying that
we shouldn't prescribe nor proscribe alcohol. To put a mother through hoops
before she can breastfeed for having a drink or 2 during the course of a
party is not evidence-based.

The real concern, that isn't talked about in the mainstream, is her
parenting and bed-sharing when she's ingested alcohol. It isn't
breastfeeding.

warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI, ANLC, CKC
craniosacral therapy practitioner
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com

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