Out of Touch!

We could not believe the statements about breastfeeding and growth emanating from the prestigious, free to all health professionals, In Touch publication by Heinz.

Although it is apparent that infants who are breastfed gain weight at a slower rate than infants who are formula-fed, it remains to be established which growth pattern is normal or optimal.

And neither could Dr. Thomas McBride. "Is this a joke?" he writes, "If the breastfed pattern is not normal, then it is because of a disruption of a natural and healthy process. How can formula feeding be more healthy or optimal than breastfeeding? Your next sentence is a damnation of breastfeeding by insinuation. Seeing it highlighted in a box makes one wonder if this was deliberate."

Evidence indicates that the slower weight gain of breastfed vs formula-fed infants is not associated with any harmful functional outcomes in activity, behavioural development or morbidity.

I am compelled to rephrase this as "Evidence indicates that the more rapid weight gain of formula-fed vs breastfed infants is associated with harmful functional outcomes in activity, behavioural development, morbidity...and also mortality."

"I will be discussing these concerns with my colleagues, and urging them to read In Touch with a critical intelligence, with which you do not seem to credit your subscribers."

We agree. Interesting that Heinz has just picked up an infant formula company in Israel.