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‘SNIPPETS’ ‘Breast is Best’ In National Breastfeeding Awareness week (9-15 May) 2004, “The Lancet” medical journal released a paper concluding that: ‘Breastfeeding helps cholesterol’. The new research bolsters the theory that rapid growth in infancy, encouraged by enriched infant formulas, might increase the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life. The study, described this week in The Lancet found the cholesterol profile was 14% better in adolescents who had been fed breast milk as babies, compared with those fed formula i.e. a 14% lower ration of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lower concentrations of the inflammation protein than those who received either type of formula tested in infancy. Dr Atul Singhal of the Institute of Child Health, the lead investigator, said: “The findings … suggest that infant nutrition permanently affects the (cholesterol) profile later in life, and specifically that breast milk feeding has a beneficial effect.”1 This statement was backed up by Dr Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, unconnected with the research, who stated: “These findings considerably strengthen the view that nutrition in the womb and in newborn children has a substantial influence on the risk of coronary heart disease later in life.”2 COMMEMNT: The jury has been ‘out’ recently on various aspects of breastfeeding, as the nutrition of the mother can affect the infant. It is advised, for example, that HIV-positive pregnant women should eat foods rich in vitamin A (dark green leaves or orange fruits and vegetables, liver, or egg yolk) and iron to avoid deficiency.3 It has also been found that …”The capacity of breast-feeding for preventing food allergy has been challenged in the past, but a consensus seems to be emerging now that breast-feeding can indeed prevent food allergy if it is started at birth and is exclusive for at least 4, and preferably 6, months. In the most "at-risk" babies the breast-feeding mother should try to eliminate the most potent allergens (eggs, fish, soya, nuts, and cow's milk) from her diet.”4
Once again science and medicine point to the importance to health of the daily diet from the foetus to the mature adult. Reference: 1 ‘Breastmilk feeding and lipoprotein profile in adolescents born preterm: follow-up of a prospective randomised study’, Atul Singhal MD, M Fewtrell MD, A. Lucas FRCP – MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre & Centre for Paediatric Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Tim J Cole ScD, Institute of Child Health, London, UK. Lancet 2004; 363; 1571-78. 2 AP Associated Press Medical Writer – Emma Ross. 3 ‘Eat healthily, stay healthy.’ AIDs Action 1995 Sep-Nov.(30):4-5 4 ‘Milk formulae in the prevention of food allergy.’ Guesry Pr, et al; Allergy Proc. 1991 Jul-Aug; 12(4):221-6. Nestle Technical Assistance Company, Vevey Switzerland.
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