Breast Feeding woo???

casebro said:
Do newborns have something like 'leaky gut', allowing more stuff like proteins/antibodies to flow into their bloodstream? That's also why you shouldn't feed solid food too young?
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As many of us in the older generation often say, "It's amazing any of us survived."

I'm not sure about me (I am on the younger side of the older group), but I know that my older siblings/cousins/etc were generally started on solid food at basically 1 week or so (something like mashed potatos, usually, and maybe some ice cream. Or pudding (Mom says we loved tapioca when we were babies))

Car seats were unknown. Kids were on laps or even in the back window of the car. Now we worry about whether the car seat is tilted to the correct angle when it is installed.
 
Professor Yaffle said:
Basically, with respect to the allergy protection, the age at which a "foreign" substance - like cow's milk - is first introduced is the important thing. The longer you wait, the better. this is also the issue wih delaying weaning until about 6 months with breastfed babies.
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Wait a minute. I thought food allergies and other food reactions (like lactose intolerance) were become MORE common nowadays? Historically, people have introduced cow's milk a lot sooner than they do now.
 
pgwenthold said:
...Car seats were unknown. Kids were on laps or even in the back window of the car. Now we worry about whether the car seat is tilted to the correct angle when it is installed.
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My parents drove around with me in a laundry basket full of towels balanced on the front bench seat (no seat belts in the car at all).... :boggled:
 
Prometheus said:
My parents drove around with me in a laundry basket full of towels balanced on the front bench seat (no seat belts in the car at all).... :boggled:
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We never wore seatbelts until the seatbelt laws started, which was when I was in high school (right before I got my driver's license)
 
pgwenthold said:
Wait a minute. I thought food allergies and other food reactions (like lactose intolerance) were become MORE common nowadays? Historically, people have introduced cow's milk a lot sooner than they do now.
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What do you mean by historically - ie how far back are you looking? Most babies in the UK these days are formula fed, whereas historically most were breastfed. And I'm not claiming that it is the only influence on rates of allergies.
 
Prometheus said:
My parents drove around with me in a laundry basket full of towels balanced on the front bench seat (no seat belts in the car at all).... :boggled:
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There used to be 5 kids in the back of our mini metro when I was little - with my youngest brother usually sitting on the floor.
 
Professor Yaffle said:
What do you mean by historically - ie how far back are you looking?
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Say, 50 years. When a lot more babies grew up on the farm.


Most babies in the UK these days are formula fed, whereas historically most were breastfed. And I'm not claiming that it is the only influence on rates of allergies.
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But I still thought that it is the lack of introducing something that leads to allergies? The modern germ-a-phobic approach being an example.
 
pgwenthold said:
Say, 50 years. When a lot more babies grew up on the farm.




But I still thought that it is the lack of introducing something that leads to allergies? The modern germ-a-phobic approach being an example.
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Well the evidence suggests that 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding protects against allergies. And there is a difference between introducing germs and introducing potential allergens.
 
It seems the consensus is the most important time to breastfeed is from birth to six weeks. Any time longer and the science gets a bit weaker, and woo starts to seep in.

Did I mention that I hate Dr. Sears with a passion?

Anyway, my wife breastfed my son for nearly six months, and I'm glad it was her nipples and not mine being tortured. Cracking, blistering, it's a wonder woman breastfeed at all. He still developed severe eczema, was colicky for a time--you know, everything that breastfeeding is supposed to prevent. My daughter was only breastfed for two months, due to medication my wife had to start taking, and she has no eczema and is as cheery as can be. Bottom line--babies do pretty well regardless of our screw ups.

Congrats on the kid! Ours are only 14 months apart. Sleep? What's that?
 
I tried looking for historical breastfeeding rates, but found it ahrd to find figures.

I also wonder about diagnosis rates, or infant survival (I was thinking about similar things to the PKU disorder)
 
shawmutt said:
It seems the consensus is the most important time to breastfeed is from birth to six weeks. Any time longer and the science gets a bit weaker, and woo starts to seep in.
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Although te first few weeks are obviously the most important, much of the research is based on 6 months exclusive breastfeeding. In general the consensus is that up to 6 months the longer the baby is exclusively breastfed, the better.
 
Diagnosis rates for allergic conditions have definitely gone up - I have had asthma all my life, but it wasnt recognised till I was about 11 because my GP was pretty old, and kept insisting I had "wheezy bronchitis". It was only when my mam took me to a younger doctor that joined the practice that I was diagnosed.

IIRC the consensus seems to be that there is increased recognition, but also a real increase in allergic conditions.
 
I'm looking for the study I just heard about recently, something about a correlation between the increased time spent indoors and the increasing allergies.
 
shawmutt said:
I'm looking for the study I just heard about recently, something about a correlation between the increased time spent indoors and the increasing allergies.
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Did it include the increasing density of transistors in microchips and the increasing populations of Bald Eagles as well? That seems very relevant.
 
Hydrogen Cyanide said:
Yes! The suggestion is to start rice cereal at about three or four months. The very diluted porridge is considered a "solid."
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Our health visitors were still giving this advice just a few years ago too - despite the WHO recommendations of 6 months. It often takes a few years for the advice to filter through to different countries.
 
Hydrogen Cyanide said:
Yes! The suggestion is to start rice cereal at about three or four months. The very diluted porridge is considered a "solid."
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Ok. In Finland the official recommendation is:

  • Full breastfeeding until 6 months, partial breastfeeding until 12 months
  • Additional vitamin D supplement to all kids from 1 month to 3 years of age

    Solid food:
    >5 months: (ONLY if necessary)
  • small quantities of mashed and cooked potatos, vegetables, berries and fruits
    6< months:
  • all of the above, with the addition of mashed porridge and occasional meat (lentils for vegetarians)
    8< months:
  • added occasional fish and more harsh food (ie. fine grated raw vegetables, other beans for veggies)
    10< months:
  • Slowly starting to eat what the rest of the family's eating, occasional milk based foods (tofu and all other protein sources for veggies)
 
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