New Who advice on BF!!

[madhattershouse]

I found this article [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jan/14/six-months-breastfeeding-babies-scientists
here].
Am a little ..what do you think. Talk about changing your mind!

I agree that the first thing that went through my mind when I saw the report on the Beeb this mornign was that 'this is not new information.'

Some babies show iron deficiencies before six months, especially if they are preterm.

It would be interesting if any exclusively breastfed, full term babies have been studied by Fewtrell Wilson and Lucas for iron deficiencies and what the findings were.

I thought the iron deficiencies were due to babies being fed a veg/fruit based diet and lots of iron fortified cereal as their first foods.

Not breastfeeding followed by a largely adult diet (with the exception of no whole nuts, unpasteurised dairy, etc).

It seems to be along the same lines as that British Dietetic Association weaning paper that has been linked to on other threads - that weaning is probably best done between 4-6 months. I think I read that gluten should be introduced by 7 months, and that waiting til 7 months is just as risky as introducing it before 4 months.

Aiming for 6 months has had the very welcome side effect of lowering the number of people weaning at ridiculously young ages though.

Personally I went with when my baby seemed ready - which was 22 weeks. He'd already had some formula milk by then anyway so I didn't see waiting til 26 weeks as being so important as if he'd been exclusively breastfed.

No babies were studied by these researchers for this paper.

It's not a study.

It's a look at existing and recent research by other people which they say means current guidance warrants another look.

It certainly does not ask 'does breastfeeding cause allergies?'. WTF????

MoonUnitAlpha - I think the thing with gluten is that introducing when you are bf (not before 4 months obviously!) is the way to go. Introducing it alongside bm seems to lower risk of issues.
No idea which study I read this in or even if I did, how I would go about linking to it

did you see it this morning on bbc - clare byam cook saying that she advises her mothers to give formula or solids at 3/4 months if they are not sleeping through the night - and the little label came up as breastfeeding counsellor

the kent midwife did a sterling job - apparently the 'opinion piece' is linked to funding byu formula companies, she also said babies not designed to sleep through so young and that we need to take notice of evidence based research not opinion pieces like this... susannah wotsit looked quite put out at having to report such drivel!

oh and they actually used the words (the presenters) new experts are exploring whether 'breastfeeding exclusively until six months harms babies'

good god! i was spitting chips at the telly!

TT, I was not referring especially to this paper, I was wondering if these scientists have ever looked at the blood results from babies EBF to 6 months and found them wanting for iron.

I don't think anything to get worked up about. Still best to BF baby until at least 6 months. Still totally unadvisable to introduce solids before 4 months.

Just saying that might be ok/benefits of starting weaning from 4 months rather than waiting until 6 months. Thats been the NHS guidance in Scotland recently anyway.

I weaned at 22 weeks for DD and DS1 and 24 weeks for DS2, because they'd all been on a 4 month sleep regression type thing (now realise hunger) wanting to feed 2 hourly day and night for weeks by that point and I couldn't really cope with EBF any longer. I felt so guilty about it, as I hadn't followed the guidelines even though the sleep issues immediately resolved.

None have allergies, but my nephew who was EBF for 7 months, then BLW (BF until 18 months) has allergies and health issues as a result of being iron and vit d deficient. Paed said iron and vit d deficiency v common in babies who are BF for more than 6 months.

foxy: The iron thing was looked at by WHO as part of the systematic review, and they did not find evidence that excl bf caused iron deficiency. This is the so-called 'weanling's dilemma' - there were concerns that withholding solids from a baby who was already iron deficient (because his mother was, in pg) might be a disadvantage - the dilemma was, do you cont to bf solely and avoid gastro-enteritis and risk Fe deficiency, or do you give Fe-rich solids and risk GE? This is a dilemma for resource-poor settings, clearly. Pg mothers in the UK are rarely chronically deficient and those that are can be treated before it becomes clinically signficant for their babies.

Since then - acc to this paper - other studies have raised the issue and found it 'live'. I'd need to read the references to see how valuable these newer studies are and whether they would apply in the UK.

Obv no studies have been done on this with UK babies 'cos there just ain't enough of 'em who bf excl to 6 mths!

Thanks TT, much as I suspected.

I wanted to also throw this out there while we are at it that in 2009 Alan Lucas one of the people connected with this review was out in Dubai 'working' for Avent at a Mum and Baby Show.

Invitations were sent by Avent to breastfeeding support groups inviting mothers and health professionals along.

I was a bit at the time.

"withholding solids from a baby who was already iron deficient (because his mother was, in pg)"

Sorry, are you saying that mums with iron deficiencies tend to have iron deficiencies.
In that case I am - I was on the borderline of anaemia during my last pregnancy, and when I asked what the implications were I was told there was a risk to me if I lost blood while giving birth. No one mentioned that! Relevant because I chose to address it through diet rather than supplements but might have made a different decision.

Jeremy Vine show on Radio 2 about to discuss this too!

Stealth, mothers who are chronically and seriously iron deficient have babies who have smaller iron stores, yes. Bags of research on this, mainly in developing world. 'Borderline anaemia' - I don't know if this would count. You could do a search on the lit. yourself. My guess is it would not be significant. But it's a guess. I am not a doctor blah blah blah.

Irony is that continued breastfeeding protects chronically-iron deficient mothers because they don't have periods.

This is an emotional response, not a scientific one, I totally acknowledge, but I having a 'final straw' feeling about this.

My baby is EBF - we started gently offering/allowing some food from 5 and a half months - an approach which is so middle of the road, it just helped me to get hit by traffic coming from both directions. Hardcore BLWs were disappointed with me for 'going early' and using a spoon - others, inc family members raised on different guidelines, kept pestering me to start him on solids from about 3 months on. Have I done the best thing? Who fucking knows.

I've read about vitamin D being prescribed to BF babies in the USA - here in the UK, it's not done. I've read that waiting until 6 months and delaying the introduction of some foods might help prevent allergies - I'm now reading that waiting too long might increase the risk of allergies. I've been told by other BF mums that if I continue to BF and feed no formula, DS will need vitamin drops, but my HV has mentione nothing.

I'm SICK of it all. I'm especially sick of being told to 'read all the evidence and make my own mind up.' Really?? Read ALL the evidence from the global scientific community? And decide for myself the validity of conflicting studies?? I'm an intelligent educated woman, but I don't have a sciences background, and nor do I have the TIME, FFS. I'm self emplyed, working full time, I want GUIDANCE, from these health professionals we're always told to consult at the end of articles.

Sorry, this is a rant, I've just had a bucketful this morning.

Total sympathy, gloyw.

:( :(

gloyw Sympathies. I have to admit I burst into tears this morning after the media frenzy. I really should know better as am actually an academic in this area and know the guidlines, evidence and read the BMJ article. The media response was just shocking though - why do they have to be so bitter and horrible about BF. It was so smug and I told you so...when they didnt actually have anything to be smug about.

Disclaimer - I am exhausted from hourly night comfort feeding and facing pressure from everyone to wean (22 week old DS2).

From what you are saying you are doing just what the BMJ paper was suggesting. Waiting til around 6 months (bang on 6 months is not a magic age), looking at your baby for genuine signs. Breastfeeding.

Vitamin drops can be a good idea for BF babies over 6 months - can't see any harm. Personally I make sure I have vitamins myself when EBF just in case.

I cant believe the way this has been reported in the media. It almost reads as BF is bad for your baby WTF!

To top it all when talking about weaning on the BBC news the presenter was standing in front of a million jars of commercial food.

Blood also boiling.

Wonder how much Hipp or whoever paid for that shot!

I can't believe it is front line news!

gloyw I so empathise with your "final straw" feeling. Having one of those today too.

I felt so happy that I'd waited till 6 months (or nearly - I followed the "if they can sit up, pick up food and eat it, they're ready" guidance) and that happy feeling has been shattered by this (and by imagining the smug look on my mother's face).

My dd is not sleeping, either, peppa, and I'm getting pressure to sleep train and no sympathy now she's nearly 8 months.

I want to emphasise that I in no way have ever gloated/been smug about any of my parenting choices, but I have been firm about what I wanted to do, because I had read the recommendations carefully and believed I was doing the right thing. Now I just feel pissed off with it all, frankly. No-one's fault, really, but I do.

sorry for rant.

Oh and just to rant a bit more - the guidance you get already varies wildly according to which HV/MW/GP/paediatrician you speak to - imagine how much worse it will get!

Thanks peppapig and tiktok. Sorry for the grumpiness, I'm feeling v frustrated.

Reminded myself that my BF DS has (touch wood) so far not had a sniffle or a cold so far in his 6 months, despite me having a couple of corkers. Again, an emotional response, not a scientific one, or even a very rational response to this news, I just have this feeling like I need to validate some of what I've been doing.

Missed your post GoldenGreen - yes, I've followed recommendations responsibly, politely defended what I was doing, and wanted to do the right thing, etc etc. I hope my mum is going to be tactful about this news... I'm not looking forward to defending future decisions now, either.

In fact, I'm just feeling cynical about all the advice I've been given. Over reaction probably, but yes, it already felt like I got different advice from whoever I spoke to. My HV told me last week it was 'general advice' for all babies now to leave introducing eggs til 9 months. I hadn't heard that before. Cue my mother - 'you were eating eggy soldiers at 4 months, and you loved them, DS would too!' Maybe she's right, she means well...I dunno.

RubyBuckleberry I was watching the interview too - I really suspect they got their name labels mixed up, I mean, surely the Breastfeeding Counsellor was the lady with the red hair that seemed to be talking more sense?? The lady with the grey hair seemed like a midwife from the dark ages, I was a bit [shock} too at what she was saying

Someone emailing the BBC made a good point though - how on earth can mothers enjoy their pregnancy and first few months of their babies lives when they are constantly being given/reading in the press conflicting "advice" about what to eat/what not to eat/when to wean/ eating peanuts/not eating peanuts/ how to avoid allergies etc etc ad infinitum.

I suspect my MIL will bring this up next time we see her as the Daily Mail will probably report it as "breastfeeding and not weaning early causes cancer and house prices to fall" or something to that effect.