Topic : 10/07 The Latest Debates

 Sorry, but you are simply wrong in stating that there is no benefit to the child from extended nursing.  Please have a look at this very informative article excerpted below, as well as the references cited therein. 

Extended Breastfeeding Fact Sheet 

By Kelly Bonyata, BS, IBCLC  

 http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html 

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that "Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first year of life and beyond for as long as mutually desired by mother and child... Increased duration of breastfeeding confers significant health and developmental benefits for the child and the mother... There is no upper limit to the duration of breastfeeding and no evidence of psychologic or developmental harm from breastfeeding into the third year of life or longer." (AAP 2005)
• The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends that breastfeeding continue throughout the first year of life and that "Breastfeeding beyond the first year offers considerable benefits to both mother and child, and should continue as long as mutually desired." They also note that "If the child is younger than two years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned." (AAFP 2001)
• A US Surgeon General has stated that it is a lucky baby who continues to nurse until age two. (Novello 1990)
• The World Health Organization emphasizes the importance of nursing up to two years of age or beyond (WHO 1992, WHO 2002).
• Scientific research by Katherine A. Dettwyler, PhD shows that 2.5 to 7.0 years of nursing is what our children have been designed to expect (Dettwyler 1995).
• Nursing toddlers between the ages of 16 and 30 months have been found to have fewer illnesses and illnesses of shorter duration than their non-nursing peers (Gulick 1986).
• "Antibodies are abundant in human milk throughout lactation" (Nutrition During Lactation 1991; p. 134). In fact, some of the immune factors in breastmilk increase in concentration during the second year and also during the weaning process. (Goldman 1983, Goldman & Goldblum 1983, Institute of Medicine 1991).
• Per the World Health Organization, "a modest increase in breastfeeding rates could prevent up to 10% of all deaths of children under five: Breastfeeding plays an essential and sometimes underestimated role in the treatment and prevention of childhood illness." [emphasis added]

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html 

References: Immunological Benefits  

Immunological Protection by Kathryn Orlinsky  

Briend A, Wojtyniak B and Rowland MG. Breast feeding, nutritional state, and child survival in rural Bangladesh. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1988 Mar 26;296(6626):879-82.  

Goldman AS et al. Immunologic components in human milk during weaning. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1983 Jan;72(1):133-4.  

Goldman AS, Goldblum RM, Garza C. Immunologic components in human milk during the second year of lactation. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1983 May;72(3):461-2.  

Gulick EE. The effects of breastfeeding on toddler health. Pediatr Nurs. 1986 Jan-Feb;12(1):51-4.  

Hamosh M. Bioactive factors in human milk. Pediatr Clin North Am 2001 Feb;48(1):69-86.  

Hamosh M, Dewey, Garza C, et al: Nutrition During Lactation. Institute of Medicine, Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1991, pp. 133-140. This book is available free from the HRSA Information Center (look under Nutrition publications).  

Lawrence R and Lawrence R. Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, 5th ed. St. Louis: Mosby, 1999, p. 159-195. See particularly Table 5-2 on p. 169: "Concentration of immunologic components in human milk collected during second year of lactation"  

Palti H, Mansbach I, Pridan H, Adler B, Palti Z. Episodes of illness in breast-fed and bottle-fed infants in Jerusalem. Isr J Med Sci 1984 May;20(5):395-9.  

One of the resources cited above is Katherine Dettwyler, a biocultural anthropologist who has done extensive research on extended breastfeeding.  Her website is also extremely informative.  Here is an excerpt: 

"At this point (2005), all of the research that has been conducted on the health and cognitive consequences of different lengths of breastfeeding shows steadily increasing benefits the longer a child is breastfed up to the age of 2 years, and no negative consequences. No research has been conducted on the physical, emotional, or psychological health of children breastfed longer than 2 years. Thus, while there is no research-based proof that breastfeeding a child for 3 years provides statistically significant health or cognitive benefits compared to breastfeeding a child for only two years, there is no research to show that breastfeeding a child for 3 years (or 4-5-6-7-8-9 years) causes any sort of physical, psychological or emotional harm to the child. This has recently been confirmed in the 2005 American Academy of Pediatrics "Recommendations for breastfeeding the healthy term infant" (see below).  

... 

In conclusion, there is no research to support a claim that breastfeeding a child at any age is in any way harmful to a child . On the contrary, my research suggests that the best outcomes, in terms of health, cognitive, and emotional development, are the result of children being allowed to breastfeed as long as they need/want to. Around the world, most children self-wean between the ages of 3 and 5 years, but given that the underlying physiological norm is to breastfeed up to 6-7 years, it is quite normal for children to continue to breastfeed to this age as well, and the occasional "normally" developing child will nurse even longer. Children who nurse for more than a year or two tend to regard their mother's breasts as sources of love and nurturance and comfort, and are more or less immune to the broader society's attempts to culturally define breasts as sex objects. " 

I hope this information  dispells some of the misconceptions out there about nursing toddlers. 

I cannot always control her rages and "bad behavior"  It has nothing to do with what type of parent I am. Once she gets into "mission mode" thats it.. Nothing I do short of dragging her out a stor by the hair will have any affect on her. 

I know there are badly behaved kids out there, but unless you know the WHOLE story I woudln't give out this distasteful advise. Next time you see a mother out in public with a "misbehaved child" ask yourself if this child is healthy or mentally ill.  I look at these situations in a whole new light now that I have experienced first hand what it is to have a child with a mental illness. Be thankful for that God blessed you with a "normal" well behaved child. 

JMO 

I don't think schools should ever pass out condems to students!!!  I think Americans needs to stop depending on others about their domestic problems.  The main problem with teenage pregnancy is due to the lack of parenting and disciplain in this nation.  I think asking for school to pass out condem is just a way for some lazy and stressed out parents to have an excuse, and someone to blame if their teen daughter ever gets pregnant.  I was a wild teen once from a very strict family, and I remembered that I was always looking for any loopholes that would justify my wrongdoings.  If the school passes out condems to young children the message it sends is clearly that it's okay for them to have sex.  I know if condems were passed out at school during my teenage years, it would have been my perfect excuse to not feel guilty about having sex and disobeying my parents. 

As the breastfeeding mom of a two year old, I would like to respond to the comments of many viewers who have written in suggesting that the solution to the nursing in public controversy is more discretion in the form of a blanket over the baby's head.  

To any experienced nursing mom, that suggestion merely illustrates that its proponent either never nursed, did not nurse beyond the pliable newborn stage, or had a miraculously unreactive child. In many moms' experiences, the usual result of deploying the vaunted blanket is a frustrated angry baby waving a flag to attract even more attention to the nursing pair than if mom had forgone the coverup.  

Without the blanket, it takes two or three seconds to latch a baby on to a breast. That is all of the window of opportunity to be offended by exposed flesh that there is (plus a second or two at the end while mom adjusts her clothing and closes up shop). The rest of the time, baby's head blocks the view.  

Add a blanket into the equation, which many babies will not tolerate, and you greatly expand the viewing opportunity as the annoyed little one pulls off the coverup, latches him or herself off the breast, and screams. In many cases, choosing to forego the blanket is discretion in its alternate meaning-- the mother's best judgment of how to effectively and unobtrusively accomplish the feeding of her hungry child.  

(Pumping isn't the panacea some people seem to think, either, as (a) not everyone can pump successfully, (b) using bottles can cause nipple preference, where the babe will prefer the faster flow rate from a bottle, and refuse to nurse from the breast, which can be the beginning of the end of nursing, (c) some babies just won't take a bottle and (d) expressed breastmilk, while still superior to formula, is not as good as milk directly from the breast, because it starts to break down outside the body.) 

As for those who are horrified that their children might witness a child nursing-- why not just explain that breasts are for feeding babies? Presumably you have had to explain that boys and girls have different private parts... Why is explaining that a breast is a girl part used for feeding babies such a burden? There is nothing shameful about it. Maybe if our sons and daughters are educated on the subject, the United States' shamefully low breastfeeding rate will improve with their generation.

 

You know,  I wanted to say something else to you after I thought more about what you had said and my reply.  I am sorry, this is obviously a very important issue to you, and though I don't agree with you on it, you are entitled to your opinion as am I.  It hurt my feelings that someone who doesn't know me would tell my children might be corrupted, etc. because we teach modesty in our home.  I think very VERY highly of moms who breastfeed, and I do wish it had worked out that I could have done it.  I do, also, however think I am a good mother to my own three children and there are many important things we do as parents to raise our children in the way we think is best for them, and nursing is only one of those things.   

I am sorry for having come back so rudely to you, we moms should be supporting each other and our choices, knowing that we are all doing what we think is best for our children.  We love them, they are a part of us, and as they grow older, we need each others' support, not condemnation.  Please know I am proud of you for breastfeeding, and I respect your opinion as well as my own. 

Someone on the show said that breast feeding was a natural act so it should be allowed in public.  My reply is that there are many natural acts that are not allowed in public.  Workers on a local construction crew were ticketed and had to go to court for urinating in public.  They had their backs to anyone that could have viewed this act so nothing was actually seen.  How is this any different? The breast feeding mom said that she couldn't wait until she got to someplace private to breastfeed.  She was going to fulfill her sons needs immediately.  How is this any different for the workers who are sometimes miles from the nearest bathroom and have the urge? Sex is also a very natural act but no one is allowed to do this in public.  I do not see any problem with excusing yourself to a private place to breast feed.   

LS 

I take issue with the statement, "NO CHILD over 8 or 9 months should be breastfed in public... If you wish to continue the benefits of breastmilk... provide a morning or evening feed if you feel it necessary."  What is your basis behind this statement?   

The following is a quote from the World Health Organization -  

"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers.  A recent review of evidence has shown that,  on a population basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the optimal way of feeding infants. Thereafter infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond." 

You can read more here - http://www.who.int/child-adolescent-health/NUTRITION/infant_exclusive.htm