>They also encourage early solids in = >small amounts for the same reason - to get the widest selection of trace = >minerals and to avoid the still-unknown consequences of a baby NOT = >getting all the good stuff that's in human milk. They acknowledge that = >this practice may increase risk of allergies, and present the arguments = >that (1) when ABM is used, allergy risk is increased anyway; and (2) = >allergies are preferable to permanent brain damage.=20 However, that presumes that allergy and brain damage are mutually exclusive. They are not - severe allergy (anaphylaxis) can result in brain damage or even death. I accept it is extremely rare, but I want people to understand that allergies *can* and *do* result in permenant injury or death - we are not just talking about infantile eczema or hives here. I suspect brain damage due to nutritional deficiencies of formula is pretty rare as well. -- Anna (mummy to Emma, born 17th Jan 1995 and Alice, born 11th Sept 1996) Email: [log in to unmask] Web Page: http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/anna