"Formula Supported for Mothers With H.I.V." says the headline for this article in the NYTimes today. http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/21/health/21MILK.html?searchpv=nytToday (you might get a "timed out" message- I searched "breast mothers") the conclusions drawn are just the opposite of what they *should* say in the headline. Here is the text: "Formula Supported for Mothers With H.I.V. By REUTERS HICAGO, Nov. 20 (Reuters) — A study done in Kenya supports the use of formula over breast-feeding by women in poor countries who carry the virus that causes AIDS, researchers reported today. While previous research has verified that the AIDS virus can be transmitted to babies via breast milk, the new research was aimed at finding out whether there were any differences in overall death rates, or other illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhea, between breast-fed and formula-fed infants. The report from the University of Nairobi and the University of Washington in Seattle found no significant difference in death rates or various illnesses between breast-fed and formula-fed babies. The study, reported in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, was conducted between 1992 and 1998 at four clinics in Nairobi, and involved 186 H.I.V.-positive mothers who used formula and 185 who breast-fed their babies. A previous report from the same study concluded that formula use could prevent 44 percent of H.I.V. infections in infants of H.I.V.-positive mothers. But the authors said little had been known about possible health risks of formula feeding in such poor areas, compared with breast feeding, which carries natural protections. "Two-year estimated mortality rates among infants were similar in the formula-feeding and breast-feeding groups," the study concluded. The incidence of diarrhea during the two years was similar in both groups, and the incidence of pneumonia was identical. However, infants who were breast-fed tended to have better nutritional status, especially during the first six months of life, the study said. However, in an editorial in the same issue of the journal, researchers at Johns Hopkins University of School of Medicine warned against generalizing the study's results. Withholding breast milk is not likely to become standard practice among the majority of H.I.V.-positive mothers in sub-Saharan Africa, the editorial said. It suggested that until that situation changes, health experts should seek means of making breast-feeding safer for H.I.V.- infected women and their babies." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! GeoCities - quick and easy web site hosting, just $8.95/month. http://geocities.yahoo.com/ps/info1 *********************************************** 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