Miriam Stoppard is an idiot who should not be allowed to spout this rubbish about bf

[50shadesofslapntickle]

Some of my La Leche League friends have just shown me this and I am totally surprised that this supposed 'doctor' can spout this crap in a national newspaper?!

www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/when-should-you-stop-breast-feeding-1259599

And then we discover she has links to Nestle... what a surprise...

boycottnestle.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/nestle-panic-miriam-stoppard.html

Miriam Stoppard you should be ashamed of yourself for writing this totally innacurate rubbish.

Can't find anything. Anyone else?

I don't know if there is anything in this possibly it does talk about low bf rates in this country. It's quite old though, 2005 I think so the study's used are probably older

However, if the babies in the Sudan have mothers it would be better to support them to bf their babies. I remember stories about this from decades ago. If the woman is fit enough to bf (and it takes a lot to dry up milk supply) then it's more sustainable for them to bf - formula is expensive, and requires clean water and sterilising facilities. So yes, thank god for formula for when it'sa required, and thank god for breastmilk too

WHO would probably be good windier to try

Section 2.4 is interesting moomins

Good one not wider!

Kitty - formula is only ok for Sudanese orphans if their mothers are dead or so malnourished they cannot feed. In which case you have to wonder what will happen to these babies once the aid agencies have moved on and their mothers milk has dried up from their babies no longer being put to the breast. I know that huge efforts are made to try to help mothers continue to lactate in these dire situations as for babies in developing countries formula feeding is not viable for anything but the short term.

As for 'thank god for formula' the truth is that in developing countries formula tends to kill VASTLY more babies than it will ever save in specific famine situations.

Iggi are you for real? These women in Sudan have been walking for days and eating leaves along the way to survive and you want to encourage them to BF? FFS, They can barely hold themselves up. What a ridiculous comment.

shag: As for 'thank god for formula' the truth is that in developing countries formula tends to kill VASTLY more babies than it will ever save in specific famine situations Where did you read this?

Kitty 98% of Norweigan mothers breastfeed.

Most are still breastfeeding at 6 months.

Formula isn't marketed as freely in Norway as it is here.

I have lots from when I was doing my access to nursing course and nurses training as bf and the elderly are good ones to use for health promotion assignments, they are very fussy about where you get your statistics and data from as well.

Sorry Iggi that was harsh. :( I know that you see that it's not always possible. Just watching the news and it's awful :(

Kitty - go to Wikipedia and have a look at the history of the Nestlé boycott. Also google 'UNICEF Baby Friendly'. The UNICEF site has masses of information about the international situation in relation to infant feeding.

moomins link above- section 2.4 is interesting regarding contributing factors.

Kitty - these women's babies will die without formula but the women can't afford to buy it once the aid agencies have moved on. They cannot prepare formula safely as they don't usually have access to clean water. If they aren't helped to continue to lactate their babies are pretty much doomed.

Shagmund I have read it and understand it. Large corporate companies have a lot to answer in many respects. Many places are in desperate need and there will always be an organisation who takes matters into their own hands. There will also always be media to inflame the situation.

shag: As for 'thank god for formula' the truth is that in developing countries formula tends to kill VASTLY more babies than it will ever save in specific famine situations

Come on you know that's regarding mothers who swap to ff but don't have the clean water and facilities to make up the formula safely, not in the situation where aid workers are toping up with ff to stop the baby starving while trying to make the mother well enough to be able to feed

shag I agree. Sustainability is impossible.

I've seen it said that in these situations it would be better for the mothers to drink the formula rather than the babies, unless the babies have become too weak and ill to suckle. Breastmilk really is the only safe food for the babies of the most impoverished women, unless the mother can be guaranteed affordable or free formula and clean water and access to sterilising facilities until the baby is old enough not to need formula or Breastmilk.

Agree with moomins that ready made formula in steri-bottles is provided by aid workers.

Moonin - in a situation where a mum is being supported to maintain lactation by aid workers this is true. Sadly most impoverished women using formula in developing countries are not receiving this sort of help.

Kitty - what happens when the aid workers move on?

What happens when these women leave the feeding camps and return to their villages?

Formula kills babies in countries that don't have suitable water supplies. It also makes ill and kills babies in well established countries when its not prepared properly. These facts are nicely skirted over because of the power these companies hold in the market.

I disagree with anecdotes being used as a base for scientific fact. But you have to be pretty heartless not to let the story of a 14 year old girl really fighting for herself and her baby make you smile.

Aid workers know this, that is why the women will be encouraged to continue to lactate

Kitty - have you actually read anything other than newspaper articles about this issue?

There is a mass of information out there in lactation and midwifwry journals. Really this is a very difficult and complex issue and aid agencies - now - are very careful not to create a situation which leaves women dependent on aid if they can do anything to avoid it.