to wonder why people are so offended by Dr Christian's comment about breastfeeding?

[Justholdthesmile]

He basically says that breastfeeding is good for the first 6 months as it helps a babies immune system. However after 6 months it doesn't have an effect anymore, but as long as the baby is getting a healthy diet then it's fine to continue. He then says that breastfeeding older children may make them psychologically dependent on their mother ....

The last part I have no idea about. I suppose it might could potentially be true? But ultimately I believe it's yours and your childs choice and if you want to listen to expert advice then by all means go for it, if you don't then that's fine too.

It seems to have stirred quite a lot of anger. I'm not trying to get into a debate about ff and bf - each to their own 100%.

I'm asking more whether someone would find this doctors advice offensive?

It worrying because its factually incorrect. However, people may be taken in as he is a doctor.

he passed some exams once. Doesn't change the fact he is a dick.

I know people are perfectly entitled to make personal choices about what milk they feed their babies and toddlers at what age, but I've never understood people being squicked out by human babies and toddlers drinking human milk until they no longer want it. Does it squick people out when kittens who can walk still drink cat milk or puppies who can walk still drink canine milk?

As for the idea of stopping at 6 months, that's when it finally becomes, relatively a doddle. Whipping a boob out for the boys was easier than making a cup of tea for myself. DS2 didn't accept solid food until 8 months (he was subsequently diagnosed with ASD) but we had nothing to worry about because he was breastfed and still gaining weight and healthy. And, like another poster in this thread, DS1 got D&V when he was about a year old and norovirus was doing the rounds and couldn't keep anything down except breastmilk. He pulled round remarkably quickly when others were unwell for days.

Whistleblower, opinions should not be passed off as facts, when every scrap of evidence undertaken on the research proves him wrong.

An example: There's plenty of people who have the opinion that black people are inferior to white people; this does not make it sail even in the vaguest vicinity of the truth and it certainly shouldn't be presented as fact as someone with authority on matters of race and genetics.

Obviously, racism is far, far worse than spreading lies about Bfing, but the exampls still stands.

Also: there's a lot of people with personal issues coming out with nonsense about toddlers Bfing freaking them out. Why aren't grown adults - parents, no less! - not ashamed enough to actually say those things out loud?! Seriously, you're humiliating yourselves.

The human race was designed to BF until the adult teeth come in - 5 at the earliest. Living in modern times doesn't alter certain biological requirements. Saying you're grossed out, or whatever, by a small child dling something totally natural, and what they're biologically intended to do, is as bizarre and silly as saying that you're offended by blinking.

i don't know who dr christian is but i wouldn't buy a used car from him. he talks drivel.
and oxfordbags above says it right about the human race.

I, too, find it bizarre that anyone would be offended by a toddler breastfeeding. I BF DS1 until he was 21 months, and he has only ever had two minor colds. No ear infections, no chest infections, no food allergies, and there must be something to the benefits of feeding after six months, considering that I'm a walking mess of autoimmunity and food allergies.

Just to counteract that bit of anecdata. I breast fed my DS until he was 2, he has multiple severe allergies and gas been hospitalised with asthma several times.

Toddlers breast feeding gives me the creeps.

That's funny, because adults who are creeped out by perfectly normal things give me the creeps.

Great post oxfordbags

I find it interesting that some ppl are creeped out by a breastfeeding toddler. Why?
It's an immature attitude that probably isn't helped by a telly doc talking nonsense about the subject.
Children (including those over six months) benefit from having human milk. I think it's a shame that people try to stop that from happening.

offended by blinking

I went to school with a boy who was breastfed till age 7 or 8. It's a great big strapping bloke, and a royal marine. Never seemed any stranger or more dependant on his mother than anyone else.
I'm breastfeeding an almost 2 1/2 year old and she is fine. Doesn't seem scarred at all.

I breastfed my dd until she was 7 months or thereabouts before returnung to work.
I would say the average amonst my frends was probably a little less than that, maybe 5 months.
There was one friend who fed for 14 months. Her two children were the crankiest most miserable babies ever. One of them has severe allergies, and the other s autistic.
I think there is a lot of rubbish spouted about breasfeeding.

i went to school with a boy who was breastfed till he was 7 or 8.Christ, that's beyond hideous!

whistleblower severe allergies are an excellent reason to continue breastfeeding, and frankly I'm not sure what your point is about autism. I'm also not sure what is hideous about a mother feeding her child but I do hope you manage to get some sort of counselling to deal with your issues surrounding perfectly natural monther/child relationships.

May come as a massive surprise to you strawberry but most normal people find brestfeeding an 8 year old hideous.
I'll leave the councilling to you love

whistleblower you're entitled to your opinion, of course.

However, the problem with looking at anecdotal evidence is that you don't know what the child would have been like had things been different. Maybe the breast fed child with asthma would have been even more severely affected without bf? Maybe your friend's child was miserable and cranky because of the allergies and would have been worse off if they were formula fed? (Also not sure what your point is re autism) Maybe they would have had other illnesses to contend with on top of their allergies etc, things like ear infections and d and v.

That is why we have scientific studies and research. Researchers have found that on average children are healthier if they have been breast fed, and the longer the bf, the more benefits. Of course there is always going to be a few children who appear to buck the trend. But that doesn't mean it's all a load of rubbish, just that children are complex creatures and their health is down to a multitude of factors and bf is just one influence.

Breastfeeding causes autism innit!

Stop making up things starlight i never said autism is caused by breastfeeding and you know it!

most people find breasfeeding an 8 year old hideous

And repeat., That is all i have to say.

I never said you did? Chip? Much?

whistleblower so why mention it? What relevance did your anecdote about your friend breast feeding a child who turned out to have autism, unless you were trying to imply the two things were linked?

Yes, most people do find breast feeding an 8 year old hideous (probably due to the way society as a whole views breast feeding, as 'A good thing' up until 6 months and after that it's 'bad' or 'unusual' as evidenced by dr Christian's comments). Doesn't mean they're right. Way back most (if not all) people thought the earth was flat, no evidence just a feeling. Same as you now.

Did anyone bother to read or quote the article - I cant see so up the thread. I don't think any of what he has said is offensive or the ammunition to stir up a storm, what he said is perfectly sound.

“Advice on breast feeding is always changing. The World Health Organisation recommends breast feeding for up to two years, while the NHS recommends breast feeding for the first six months.

“Breast milk is beneficial to a baby's immune system for the first six months, but there is no harm in continuing to do it as long as the child has a healthy diet.

“If a child is being breast fed until eight, this may make them overly dependent on their mother. However if they are being breast-fed at four there is no harm in this.

“I support women who want to breastfeed and would never wish to discourage anyone from doing so.”

Yes I have read it. I will reiterate.

1. The WHO recommends breast feeding for at least 2 years, not up to.
2. The NHS recommends exclusive breast feeding for the first six months and then continuing alongside solids.
3. Breast milk is beneficial to a baby's immune system for as long as they are breastfed, not just the first six months.

Bearing in mind you are quoting the amended article, that came out after the shit storm surrounding his initial comments (which I have also read and linked to further up) you would think he would get his facts absolutely right.

His original article categorically stated there was no immune benefits after six months, and talked about 'older children' without quantifying the age he was referring to.

I'm only going with what leaps to the top of google because no one on this thread linked to the offending one. So whats out there at the moment is perfectly reasonable reading to those who do the whole breastfeeding thing.

Actually the NHS recommends breastfeeding beyond six months.

It recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months.

RE: the anecdotal "data"
I know someone who smoked and drank up heavily and lived to the age of 90. If I took that to mean that the advice about smoking and health was a load of rubbish I would be an idiot.

I am not offended by the comments (I think some people are misusing the term 'offence') but I do think he should be ashamed of himself. As a doctor he has a moral obligation to only give well research, evidence based, impartial advice, especially when he is using public media to reach a wide audience. I suspect he knows very well what the benefits of bf are but was more interested in saying something controvercial and promoting his own interests than saying something true but possibly a bit boring.