[twinzplus3]

Interestingly, I blogged on the same study today too. It should come up a little later in the baby blog.

I very rarely comment on other's pieces, especialy if I have something negative to say but this to me, was irresponsible.

[hennypenny]

I have no problems with it at all. My two kids were breastfed, one for two weeks, the other for 5 weeks, then went onto formula. Both are very smart children. I'm sure families will still continue to make up their own minds what to do regardless of this report

[twinzplus3]

I'm sure people will too. My problem with it is that in an age where we know so much about breastfeeding and how beneficial it is. . why would you paint breastfeeding so negatively. i was also annoyed at her comment about the only reason being for bfing is parents wanting to make their kids smarter.

[hennypenny]

I didn't see the article as being negative. It still pointed out that there were benefits.
I personally think IQ is more genetic and has very little to do with breast milk myself, but I'm sure there'd be a lot of competitive parents out there

[twinzplus3]

OH MY GOSH. . .my husband yearly gets asked to write recommendations for kids entering kindergarten. . .that in and of itself is a little competitive to me BUT the kids he's writing them for are 3!!!!! Competitive is an understatement.

You're right. There are parents out there that are that competitive.

[pattiewrites]

I was offended after the first paragraph where she said she bets parents aren't breastfeeding because they care about strenghtening the immune system. That is an absurd statement.

She seems to be confusing the idea that breastmilk optimizes the child's genetic intelligence. The other explanation I've heard is that formula lowers the IQ. Understanding that kids are born with a predetermined intelligence range, breastfeeding helps them reach their optimal potential. This is very different than saying that parents are trying to create Einsteins. Statements like that discredit the actual benefit that does exist. No, the baby won't become the next Einstein from breastmilk, but there are properties that will boost his natural intelligence. The formula companies know it too. That is why they add ingredeints that they claim mimic these components of breastmilk and advertise this fact so heavily.

The whole tone just sounds like what you hear out of ff moms who feel defensive about their decision. I wonder... I think it's irresponsible too. While she did allude to immune system benefits of breastfeeding, she didn't really talk about any of the other benefits, but seemed more interested in painting a negative picture.

[twinzplus3]

That was better said Pattie. . .thank you. Her whole tone was pretty negative. I think sometimes what gets confused too is the idea that statistics refer to groups of individuals. . .not one person. So when someone says, "my babe was ff and he's just as healthy. . .in fact he's healthier than a neighbor down the street who was bf" you can't go from that to "ff is just as good as bf". I think people forget the group aspect of a statistic. Am I making sense? I think I need to go back to bed !

[jadis]

Originally Posted by pattiewrites

The whole tone just sounds like what you hear out of ff moms who feel defensive about their decision.

A bit OT- I do take issue with this statement as a mostly ff mom, because the way we are often regarded makes us defensive as a self-protecting measure. I live in a very pro-bf area, and everywhere I turn I am basically inundated with the notion that I must not care "as much" because I don't breastfeed. Never mind that 6 appts with LC's, Norah losing over 10% of her bodyweight, and me pumping not being able to produce enough. I still must not care or must not have tried "hard enough" to give my daughter "the best". Don't you know that breastmilk will mean that my kid will never get sick? Or that they will be smarter? It must also cure cancer, male pattern baldness, and the common cold. Can people not see the frustration that no matter what else I do for my child and opportunities I give her, I will still always be judged because of this one decision? I know this is a bf forum, but when I see stuff like this it makes me cringe, even if it wasn't intentional. (ps- I do get about 12 oz of bm a day from pumping......and Norah takes in an additional 20oz of formula- no wonder she has almost doubled her birthweight at less than 8 weeks)

As for the study- I find the whole thing somewhat misleading, as IQ isn't something innate- it's something that is cultivated. IQ tests are very ethnocentric and more a reflection of the person's education and how well they do on tests than how "intelligent" they are. A high IQ doesn't guarantee success in school, success in the workforce, or happiness- so studies like these don't really have much merit to me (especially since on average there are many socio-economic and cultural factors which separate ff and breastfeeding moms- and thus will inevitably separate their children).

As for the tone of the article- people will see what they want to see. A bf mom may take offense about the offer inferring why they chose that route (it's not nice to be made to feel defensive- trust me, I know), while a ff mom may say "right on, so bf isn't the be all and end all". Personally, I fall within neither of these camps, as I find the article to be pretty badly written, and the author trying too hard to be witty and falling short.

So....this be my soapbox post of the day, lol

[twinzplus3]

I always feel badly for ff moms when I hear these things. I whole heartedly advocate bfing but I'd never think or tell someone else that they must not have tried hard enough or didn't care as much about their child as I do about mine. I do think most moms who quit do so for lack of support. . .but I probably wouldn't give my unsolicited opinion.

As far as people seeing what they want. . .that's probably true too. . .but I still think in an age where we know so much it is irresponsible to put that in the science section of newsweek. If it were an editorial I'd feel differently I suppose.

[angelic_ky]

i am very curious how they have proven that bf does increase intelligence. I really think that bf just cos it may boost intelligence is the wrong reason to do it