Regarding the issue of Nutramigen being gentler to the system than
breastmilk:  This is the kind of thing that really irks me.  Although I
have no specific references at hand that say specifically that
breastmilk is easier than this product for the post-surgical infant to
digest, I cannot imagine that it is not so!  Why, oh, why will people
believe the literature of a sales rep for a company with billions/annum
profits just on his/her say so, yet we breastfeeding counselors and
advocates must scramble to produce reams of paper to back up our concern
for the health of women and babies??  Last time I checked I made no
financial profit from this, so what on earth do they imagine is my
motivation?? Oh yes, there are LC's who charge for their services.  I'm
sure you are all fabulously wealthy from this, right?  (I'm sorry, but
irritation brings out sarcasm.)
     What do you suppose would happen if the physician asked the sales
rep point blank if that product were gentler than breast milk? I
wonder...
     As for NEC, isn't the use of SIN implicated in higher risk of NEC?
You should be able to find references for this. In fact, here's one now:

Buescher, E. Host defense mechanisms of human milk and their relations
to enteric infections and necrotizing entercolitis.  Clin Perinatol
1994; 21(2):247-262.

On the issue of allergies passing through breastmilk: From what I
understand, this baby is at a higher risk of allergy from the get-go,
but from genetics.  Yes, breastfed babies have fewer allergies, but the
flip side of this is that the allergic mother runs a very high risk of
having a very sick, unhappy baby while she and her pediatrician scramble
to find a SIN product that her baby can tolerate should he or she
inherit mother's propensity for allergy.  Again, I have no references at
hand to show that allergies don't pass into breastmilk, but there are
many, many to show that SIN contributes to allergies, or at least the
exacerbation of allergic tendencies in the child. Has this mother
discussed this with her allergist? Most I know are very eager for babies
to be breastfed, particularly if there is a strong family hx of
allergy.  I would strongly encourage her to do so.

A great big "Thank you" to all who responded to my question about
buproprion!  It was greatly helpful to this mother, who is a dear friend
of mine.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (or a nice Thursday!),

Andrea Simmons
LLL Leader, St. Louis MO, USA