From: Catherine Pridie < # was told "There is no nutritional value in breastmilk after one year. # From: Tina Miller # said 15 months. She looked horrified and said "you don't have to bf him anymore!" /---/ "well WHO is for third world countries # To: You all the Wise Ones ;-) . **References and more exact info** would help a great deal this mother (this is long, bear with me - or jump right to the end of the msg) : The mother was referred to a nutrition therapist with her allergic 1-year old. The baby gets diarrhea from potato, rice and oat, among others, and has less than 10 kinds of solids in her diet at the moment. Exclusively breastfed until 6 mo, symptoms started when solids were introduced. Mother says baby does *not* seem to react to foods the mother has eaten (through milk). The baby is 78 cm and 8080 g. The baby's height goes stedily +1 curve (10 % taller than baby's at her age on the average, ~ 70th percentile, I think), and the weight was steadily on the -10/-15 curve (10 % lighter, ~ 25th percentile, I think). When the solids were introduced, and she started to react with bouts of diarrhea, the weight curve dropped down to -25 (25 % lighter, below 0 percentile). Mother says the pedi is very supportive, "It is wonderful that you are breastfeeding, because finding a suitable special formula might be very difficult." The nutrition therapist, who is supposed to calculate the energy, vitamin, etc values, however, was like a cold shower. Her greatest concern seems to be that she cannot calculate those figures exactly because the baby is still breastfed. The nutrition therapist told the mother: - - The baby is breastfeeding too often (3 x night, morning, 3 x day, evening). - - The baby is too attached to the mother, 1-year old babies are not supposed to be in symbiosis (sp?) with their mothers anymore. - - Breastmilk gets more and more watery as time goes on, and does not provide energy for a baby of this age (1-year old). - - The baby probably is malnourished, mother is giving her too little solids (total 5 dl solids a day, porridge + berries, meat, veggies + added oil plus, mother estimates her baby gets about 1000 ml breastmilk daily, 36 oz). - - The mother looks like sucked dry (as: mother is sucked dry, and does not understand to feed her baby either). - - One can tell from the looks of the baby if mother's milk is nutritious: The baby is skinny, no energy value, no nutritients in the milk. According to the nutrition therapist, the WHO document WHO/CDR/93.4 stating that 0,5 litres of human milk provides up to 31 % of daily energy need during the second year of life, doesn't count, because it simply means the "survival limit" (minimun energy to make a baby to survive just and just). The nutrition therapist totally ignores that: "Breastmilk continues to be an important source of energy and high quality nutrients through the second year of life and beyond. Breastmilk can provide up to one third of a young child's protein and energy requirements during the second year of life." Mother is well informed about breastfeeding, and would like to present some more exact info and references to the nutrition therapist. She is trying to find another, supportive, nutr. therapist, but would like to share some info to the present one. In Lawrence, I think, I found last night, that fat contents decrease towards the end of the first year. There was also something about the fat contents during the weaning, but I am not sure I understood correctly that sort of more scientific language, I got the impression, that during weaning percentual (sp?) fat contents increase (see chapter 'weaning'). No exact figures though. Lactose was said to be steady and decrease during weaning. No exact figures. *** She is especially interested in info and refs about contents of human milk in energy, protein, fat and carbohydrates - and especially those of an 'older' milk (lol... old and weak milk!). For instance that WHO study mentioned above, does anyone have the g/ml and kcal/ml figures instead of just percentages? The mother wishes to have proper info and refs, as the nutrition therapist seems the kind of a person who won't be made an impact on, lol, simply with Jack's & Theresa's (wonderful) book telling it is a Myth to believe there is no nutritional value in human milk after 6 mo / 9 mo / 12 mo / choose yourself. Thanks :-) Sanna-Mari, mom to Rasmus, 23 mo (ex-allergic) lay supporter from breastfeeding support group in Lappeenranta Finland, Scandinavia *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html