I paid $8 for a temporary subscription to American J of Clinical Nutrition
2003; 77(suppl). so I could read all the articles about "advances" in
nutritional modification of infant formulas, several new articles about the
protein requirements during the first year of life, and an article on
obesity.

A statement in a preface by Bo Lonnerdal (co-author on many of the DARLING
study papers) is, to my mind, quite shocking and derserving of comment.

"It is generally believed that the amounts and quality of protein provided
by breast milk meets the protein and amino acid requirements of young
infants.  How much protein that is, how it changes during lactation, and, in
particular, how it is "translated" into recommendations for formula-fed
infants were topics discussed by Christopher Dupont (in one of the other
papers in the current journal).  Early estimates of the protein content of
human milk were vastly exaggerated.  When safety margins were added to these
overestimations, recommendations for the protein content of infant formula
resulted in proetein intakes of formula-fed infants that frequently were
twice those of breastfed infants. (!!!!)  With the realization that
breast-milk protein concentrations had been overestimated and the
observation that several metabolic indexes (blood urea nitrogen, plasma
amino pattern) in formula-fed infants suggested excessive protein intake,
steps have recently been taken to revise downward the estimated protein
requirements during infancy and to issue more appropriate recommendations."

Good grief!!!!  What an admission and what a goof.  It is a stunning
admission of the experimental nature of formula feeding. Wonder when (or
even IF) this gem of  info will make it into the popular press?  No wonder
there is a problem with obesity.  Yet, still, so little comment on early
feeding mode in the articles on obesity.

Barbara Wilson-Clay, BS, IBCLC
Austin Lactation Associates
LactNews Press
www.lactnews.com

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