Does A Focus On Breastfeeding Put Moms And Babies At Risk?

check_icon Research-backed

Throughout your pregnancy, doctors and well-wishers will most likely discuss with you the benefits of breastfeeding. These pros will include reasons such as immunity boosts for your baby along with fast post-partum recovery. Doctor groups worldwide recommend breastfeeding for a minimum of a year – the first six months of the baby’s life being crucial. However, breastfeeding does have its cons for both a mom and her baby which include poor lactation and oral problems in the baby. It is for this reason that many mothers choose to cease nursing earlier than recommended.

This does raise an important question: Are these mothers in the right?

In 1998, the World Health Organization (WHO) created a set of evidence-based practices promoting breastfeeding. These practices, titled Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding have since been practiced globally. WHO’s 10 Steps serve as a guideline for both mother and baby with regard to breastfeeding. However, the Fed Is Best Foundation (FIBF) has recently challenged WHO regarding these guidelines (1). They argue that even though the guidelines are helpful, leniency should be practiced. They also claim that following the WHO’s 10 Step guideline stringently may cause malnourishment among newborn infants.

In This Article

Current Guidelines – The “Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative”

It should be noted that many new moms don’t receive sufficient training in breastfeeding before leaving the hospital. This could play a part in the low rates of breastfeeding among new mothers. Breastfeeding, although natural, is not easy, especially for a first-timer. Another reason for moms to ‘give up’ on breastfeeding could be due to the low production of milk. Which may also be due to the fact that many hospitals supply the formula for free. Now, though this works as a boon for mothers with low lactation levels, it also reduces the ‘need’ for breastfeeding.

Due to these issues, in 1991 WHO and UNICEF introduced the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. In order for hospitals to be accredited, they had to follow the WHO’s 10 steps. According to these guidelines, at least 75 percent of the patients are required to be exclusively breastfeeding during the time of their discharge.

Since its launch, the program has been widely accepted. It is now followed almost worldwide and grows every year. The initiative has had a proven positive impact and has increased the prospect of breastfeeding during the first six months of a baby’s life.

Challenges To The WHO’s 10 Steps

On 24th October 2017, WHO allowed the public to comment and discuss the Baby-Friendly Hospital guidelines. A revision of the guidelines is to be made in the next month. During the public commentary, FIBF challenged step 6 which states:

“Give new-born infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated.”

FIBF followed up by saying that if this step is followed, newborns are at a risk of nutrition-related complications such as hypo- or hyperglycemia and starvation, among others. They also stated that this step could lead to brain injuries and disabilities. In a recent post by the senior FIBF advisory board, it was stated that babies born at these ‘Baby-Friendly’ hospitals lose more than 10 percent of their birth weight. This occurs when breastfeeding is exclusive. While weight loss is not a large threat during the hospital stay, serious issues happen once the newborn goes home. This is due to the lack of medical attention and awareness among mothers regarding their child’s nourishment.

FIBF co-founder Dr.Christie del Castillo-Hegyi, M.D., an emergency physician researching newborn brain injury and breastfeeding, told Forbes:

“Publicly acknowledging the common problem of insufficient breast milk and the importance of supplementation to protect the brain can prevent millions of complications, hospitalizations and new-born injuries”(2).

Upon questioning WHO leaders about providing this information to the public, the response given was that it is not their top priority at the moment.

What You Need To Know As A Mother

If you plan to breastfeed your baby, it is best to know the signs of malnourishment:

  • Lack of Bowel Movements: Generally newborns should be pooping at least once to five times a day by their third month.
  • Colour of Urine: the healthy colour of urine is clear to light yellow. Dark yellow urine indicates dehydration in babies.

If your child shows any of these signs immediately seek medical attention. Your doctor may refer you to a lactation expert. Lactation experts will guide you in regards to breastfeeding and other options if required.

Don’t lose heart if breastfeeding doesn’t work out for you. While many claim that this is the only way for a healthy baby, it not always the case. Ultimately, it is a choice that YOU and your baby have to make. Remember, regardless of being breastfed or not, your baby needs nutrition and a healthy environment to grow into a happy child.

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.