Elizabeth wrote
<<I'm doing breastfeeding talks for a hospital with a high Southeast Asian
immigrant population.  This group badly wants tall, "American"
sons.>>

Yes, I think you are right to cover height differences before they
bring them up.  Maybe you could say that you have learnt from
earlier classes that this is a topic of interest,  so you have
consulted the experts (anthropologists and auxologists, no less).
What you have learned is that "optimal nutrition" during the first
20 or so years of life will give their child the best chance of reaching
its genetic potential, which is likely to be somewhat taller than
its parents because of the better nutrition and healthcare.

Maybe you could present an "optimal  nutrition" plan for babies,
children and adolescents. In Australia we have special Dietary
Guidelines for Children and Adolescents.  Number 1 is breastmilk, of
course.

Then you could cover Brian Palmer's material about how the delivery
method of bottlefeeding can damage the airways, leading to sleep
apnea. Chronically disturbed sleep from allergy or apnea stunts
growth.

Go for it.  Sell a healthy lifestyle for the whole family.  And while
you are at it, warn them off soy formula with its phyto-oestrogens.
Would they knowingly want to feed oestrogens to their infant sons -
reportedly equivalent to the dose in 30 contraceptive pills per day?
Surely virility is as close to their hearts as height.  I kid you
not, soy formula as a *sole* source of nutrition, for months on end,
is a BIG worry.

Ros Escott
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