BMJ  2003;327:683 (20 September), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7416.683-a

Letter

Human milk is still best

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Over 10 years ago Barker et al postulated the hypothesis of fetal programming by showing that low birthweight babies had a higher mortality from ischaemic heart disease.¹ Subsequently, fast postnatal catch-up growth was found to be an additional risk factor for ischaemic heart disease,² showing that early childhood programming was as important as the milieu in the womb. The most important form of early childhood programming and the form most amenable to beneficial intervention is nutrition—particularly breast feeding, or the lack of it.

Forsyth et al studied long chain fatty acid supplementation in infant formula and later blood pressure in childhood, and their findings will no doubt greatly influence the strategies of infant formula companies for years to come.³ However, the key finding should be that breast feeding does it all naturally, and for free. Sufficient evidence suggests that human milk, besides its role in preventing acute childhood . . . [Full text of this article]

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Singapore, Lower Kent Ridge Rd, 119074 Singapore obgcys@nus.edu.sg

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