Here I would like to share with Lactnet readers a response by Ted Greiner
to the article in the Johns Hopkins Insider newsletter by Dr. B. Caballero
suggesting that breastfed infants should be given vitamin supplements.
 I shared with him Laurie Wheeler's response to the editor.
However, Ted has noted to me that he has tried sending his letter three
times and it has always returned, it must be a wrong address.  If anyone
may know of the correct
address to where his letter should be sent, I am sure he would appreciate
getting it.

----------
> From: Ted Greiner <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Superfluous supplements for exclusively breast-fed infants
> Date: Saturday, August 01, 1998 3:09 PM
>
> Dear Editor,
>
> I was interested to read Dr. Benjamin Caballero's article on superfluous
> supplements and agree with most of it. The following statement has,
> however, been discussed on the LACTNET and is of concern to many:
>
> Children who are breast-fed should receive supplementation of
>                       vitamins A, C and D, and there is a preparation
> called Trivisol that is
>                       the standard issue to these babies;
>
> While vitamin D is necessary where exposure to sunlight cannot be
> guaranteed, and such a vitamin supplement may indeed be "standard issue"
> for "breast fed children" in the US, it is certainly not necessary in
> industrialized country settings for babies under six months of age who
are
> exclusively breast-fed. Admittedly most breast-fed babies in the USA
> receive other things and this may justify supplementation moreso than
here
> in Scandinavia where mixed feeding is rare before a few months of age and
> then commercial follow up formulas are the main supplement given. I
recall
> a study done many years ago among poor urban groups in the USA showing
that
> many surprising and even shocking things are fed to young babies, so this
> also may justify routine recommendations of supplements. However, again,
> this is not the same as to say that they are necessary when babies are
> breast fed exclusively. Vitamin K, not mentioned in the article, may of
> course be an exception.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Ted Greiner, Ph.D.
>
>
> _______________________________________________________
> Ted Greiner, PhD
> Nutritionist
> Section for International Child Health
> Department of Women's and Children's Health
> Entrance 11
> Uppsala University
> 75185 Uppsala
> Sweden
> ph +46 18 511598
> fax       515380
> email [log in to unmask]
>
> Ted Greiner's Breastfeeding Website:
> http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/3156/
>