I sent DH the links to Dr Jone's advice and the first thing he did was email the GMC, OFCOM and GMTV.
This is the basic email he sent to them, with slight differences to each body.
Dr Hillary Jones appeared upon this program in his capacity as a MD. As such and introduced as "Doctor" Hillary Jones he cannot express a personal opinion on a TV show without it being interpreted as being the professional, educated opinion of a Health Care professional.
In the described programme Dr Jones said the following:
"After the age of one breast feeding is bizarre, unusual and not necessary. After a year the mother gets more out of breastfeeding than the child does. This act is more for the mother's comfort than the baby's. The bonding process is over and nutritionally the baby no longer needs the milk. Women breastfeed their children for longer for a variety of reasons. It can be to avoid renewing sexual relations with their partners, it's easier for some mothers to just give in to the child while other mothers prefer to pretend their grown up child is still a baby. If the child's friends find out they may get picked on and it can delay the youngster from developing his or her independence. And as children get a little older, they are forming sexual feelings so it's very bizarre to be then placing a child to the breast."
This advice is misleading, inaccurate, dangerous and contradicts several major healthcare guidances. Dr Hillary has taken it upon himself to not just ignore but to give the directly opposite advice to that of NICE and WHO.
Whilst Dr Jones may have been expressing a personal opinion he was on the show as an expert giving the healthcare professions advice. As such he has lied, been misleading and given dangerous advice. Further to this GMTV are guilty of the same crime and as such should be facing charges for giving misleading medical advice.
The World Health Organisation advises that women breast feed (along with solid food) up until the child is 2 years old and they would prefer if you continued to feed beyond this too.
Rather than being just for the mother's benefit the WHO state clearly that benefits for children continue beyond this point.
Dr Jones' assertions about mental problems for the baby and the sexual practices of mothers were both highly inappropriate and highly inaccurate. It is ludicrous to assert that breastfeeding prevents sexual contact with the mother's partner, for many it in fact enhances it. His comments about the child's development are highly inaccurate as studies have shown breast fed children are more confident than their bottle fed peers. And from a common sense point of view how many 2 year olds will have friends who are articulate enough to mock them for still being breast fed?
NICE guidance is clear "all health care professionals should support breastfeeding for as long as is desired."
The American Academy of Family Physicians state that: "breast feeding beyond the first year offers considerable benefits to both mother and child, and should continue as long as mutually desired. If the child is younger than 2 years of age, the child is at increased risk of illness if weaned." Dr Jones as a MD would be expected to be aware of this study if he was speaking on a TV show as a medical expert on the subject.
I expect a full reprimand of Dr Jones and GMTV to have to issue a full and frank apology at an absolute minimum.