I was pulling an article off of the Pediatrics webpage when I noticed
two more of interest.
Breastfeeding and the Risk of Life-threatening Enterotoxigenic
Escherichia coli Diarrhea in Bangladeshi Infants and Children. Of
interest is the last paragraph that says a more profound effect of
protection was found in breastfed children with cholera. How often
have we been seeing outbreaks of cholera on the U.S. southern border?
Hyponatremic Seizures Secondary to Oral Water Intoxication in
Infancy: Association With Commercial Bottled Drinking Water.
Several things make me want to weep. Companies marketing bottled
water to parents alluding to this water somehow meeting
an infant's nutritional needs. Parents are stretching WIC formula to make it
last the full month. Health care providers are still instructing
parents to feed solute-free water to infants. It may only take
8-16oz of water given over a "relatively short period" to produce
symptoms of hyponatremia. Cases of water intoxication in infants
have been associated with abusive and psychologically unstable
caregivers.
WIC is challenged as well. Grocery store operators substituting
other products for infant formula. WIC standard allotments are not a
100% supply for infants by 4-6 months.
And then I wonder why this didn't make the front page of the Wall
Street Journal ...
Still thinking,
Jeanne Fisher
Austin, TX