I thought it might be useful to re-post the WHO definitions of
breastfeeding, in light of Anne's post calling for more careful definitions
of terms in research.  As she points out, so many of the studies finding
health advantages for breastfed babies would be much stronger if the
breastfed category included only those exclusively breastfed for some
months, instead of anyone who ever got any breast milk.


>"In 1988, the Interagency Group for Action on Breastfeeding (IGAB),
composed of the United States Agency for International Development (A.I.D.),
the Swedish International Development Agency, the World Health Organization
(WHO), and UNICEF, proposed standard terminology for the collection and
description of data on breastfeeding behavior.  Categories of . . . . were
adopted.  However, in 1991, the WHO proposed modifications to these
definitions, and it is widely assumed that the new terminology will
supersede the IGAB categories."
>
>
>WHO breastfeeding terminology:
>
>
>EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING
>        Requires that the infant receive breast milk (including milk
expressed or from wet nurse)
>        Allows the infant to receive drops, syrups (vitamins, minerals,
medicines)
>        Does not allow the infant to receive anything else
>
>
>PREDOMINANT BREASTFEEDING
>        Requires that the infant receive breast milk (including milk
expressed or from wet nurse) as the predominant source of nourishment
>        Allows the infant to receive liquids (water, and water-based
drinks, fruit, juice, oral rehydration solution), ritual fluids and drops or
syrups (vitamins, minerals, medicines)
>        Does not allow the infant to receive anything else (in particular
non-human milk, food-based fluids)
>
>
>COMPLEMENTARY FEEDING
>        Requires that the infant receive breast milk and solid or
semi-solid foods
>        Allows the infant to receive any food or liquid including non-human
milk
>
>
>BREASTFEEDING
>        Requires that the infant receive breast milk
>        Allows the infant to receive any food or liquid including non-human
milk
>
>
>BOTTLE-FEEDING
>        Requires that the infant receive any liquid or semi-solid food from
a bottle with nipple/teat
>        Allow the infant to receive breast milk by bottle
>
>
>Exclusive and predominant breastfeeding categories together constitue "full
breastfeeding."
>
>Fuller discussion of terminological issues, and references to the original
IGAB and WHO discussions can be found in "Infant Feeding Practices and
Growth" by Katherine A. Dettwyler and Claudia Fishman, Annual Review of
Anthropology, 1992, volume 21, pages 171-204.

Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Texas A&M University
e-mail to [log in to unmask]
(409) 845-5256
(409) 778-4513