Trivia

Supporting the People who Support Breastfeeding

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Why is milk white?

Casein. It's the milk protein that is rich in calcium. Another milk protein is whey, which looks clear or watery. Many of the immunoglobulins and protective proteins are in the whey portion of milk.

Women's milk is about 80% whey and 20% casein, and whizzes through the baby's digestive system. Cow's milk is about 80% casein which forms big curds in the calf's stomach which are very slow to digest. Cow's milk is cloudy and chalky because it's higher in casein. The casein can be made into cheese.

A trick to remember these differences: W stands for Women's milk, high in Whey, Wonderful Immunoglobulins, and makes for Whiz-bang smart kids. C stands for Cow's milk, high in Casein, Chalky, ideal for making Chewy Curds for Calves.

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What fatty acid constitutes 55% of the dry weight of the infant brain?

DHA (docosohexanoic acid). DHA concentrates in the brain and retina.

There is no DHA is in infant formula. Human milk and marine oils (i.e., cod liver oil) are the best sources of this nutrient which is important in cognitive development and visual acuity, especially for premature babies.

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How long will women's breasts continue to produce milk after weaning?

At least 45 days, according to "Infant Feeding, the Physiological Basis."
Anecdotal information suggests that many women can express milk for many months after the last baby stops breastfeeding, but little research has been done on this topic.

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Which US Senator conducted hearings on formula marketing in 1981?

Edward Kennedy. These hearings and other investigations led to the development of the World Health Organization's Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, which the US endorsed by consensus in 1994. More information about the World Health Organization's Code of Marketing and the reason it is vitally important ate available from INFACT Canada. InFact Canada can be reached from our Resources page.

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What color was the cover of the first edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding?

White. The cover of the second edition was blue.

The Womanly Art, first published in 1958, was the first book on breastfeeding written by mothers for mothers, and remains one of the best resources available today. WABF is in its 5th edition and has been translated into 8 languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Indonesian, Japanese, and Italian.

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Why is human colostrum yellow?

Because it contains large amounts of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an anti-oxidant and protects the gut from many diseases. Beta-carotene containing vegetables have high amounts of vitamin A and have been found to reduce the risk of cancers of the digestive system in adults.

The World Health Organization publication "Infant Feeding, the Physiologic Basis" states that "Colostrum, like the milk to come after it, acts as a modulator of infant development. To dilute its effects by giving water, or negate them by adding foreign substances to the infant's gastrointestinal tract, is not easily justified."

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Who was the first President of the United States to be born in a hospital?

Jimmy Carter. He also was the first President of the United States to take the oath of office using a nickname. (L. M. Boyd, Dayton Daily News, Aug 31, 1996)

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