This study by the Henry Ford Health System has been released to news
dispatching agencies worldwide.  The first thing I always look for in such
news items is where the study was published, because there are three
possibilities: either it is in a non-refereed publication in which case I
don't put as much weight on it, or it is in a refereed publication in which
case I can get a copy and read the study myself rather than relying on what
is usually a grossly oversimplified report of the conclusions from a press
release.

The third possibility, and the one which is the case for this study, is that
the study has not yet been published.  It was presented at a conference in
Vienna on Sept.30.  Conferences don't usually have the same criteria for
acceptance of work to be presented as the best peer-reviewed journals do;
you can get something into a conference that you might have a lot of trouble
getting published in a reputable, high-impact journal.  But just because
something is presented at a conference is no guarantee that it will get news
coverage.

So, someone, probably in the marketing department of Henry Ford Health, has
put a bunch of effort into making sure this article makes a big splash in
the international news, before it risks getting lost in the piles of studies
that never make it to publication.  It might be a good study, and it might
not; we don't know because we haven't had the opportunity to read it and
judge it for ourselves.  The blurb on the Henry Ford Health website mentions
the antibiotic/asthma connection over and over again; the involvement of BF
is peripheral.  But how is it being reported in the press?

I have a strong bias against disseminating research results in the popular
press before the research has been subject to scrutiny by peers of the
researcher in the scientific community.  It arouses my suspicion right away,
and I realize this may not be justified, but it is part of my hypertrophied
critical approach to knowledge.  At www.henryfordhealth.org you can read
more about this non-profit health care enterprise in Michigan, and see the
report about this research as they are presenting it to the press.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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