I too have spent many years working with mothers in a dry, hot environment
(the California desert).  One of the pediatricians in our community felt that
summer babies were overly obese because the mothers breastfed when they
should have been giving water for thirst.  I found it interesting because the
infants did not have a  tendancy to develop a weight problem later.
 Dehydration did not tend to be a problem as a rule because baby got adequate
fluid from the breast.


Denise Parker