Dear Dr Rainford,

Kudos to you for your excellent article on breastfeeding and especially its role in pregnancy weight reduction. As a firm advocate of breastfeeding, it is clear to me that the 'miracle' source of the copious flow of baby food from a mother's body is associated with the extra weight she gains during pregnancy.

Other important benefits of breastfeeding are the bonding with the child that will provide an unbreakable emotional foundation for life. Studies have already shown that breastfed babies also have higher IQs and brains better adapted to learning, due to ingredients in breast milk that cannot be replicated in formula food. This fact makes it clear to me that genes in cow-milk substitutes can only deliver the genetic brain development of cows.

Sadly. most Jamaican mothers cannot breastfeed, as the economic demands of jobs take them away from their babies after a very short maternity leave. I look forward to the day when Jamaica's health and social services can equal those of developed countries that give one year's home leave for new mothers and where breastfeeding is an accepted practice for producing healthy children and productive adults — not only for retaining a trim figure.

Blessings to your family, Dr Rainford.

BARBARA BLAKE HANNAH

P.O. BOX 727

KINGSTON 6

Send questions and comments to our health specialists at Your Health, c/o The Gleaner, 7 North Street, Kingston; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com. Unless otherwise indicated, letters and the specialists' responses are usually published.