Two snippets:
"BREAST-FEEDING mothers have been given potentially harmful advice on infant nutrition for the past 40 years, the World Health organization (WHO) has admitted. Charts used in Britain for decades to advise mothers on a baby's optimum size have been based on the growth rates of infants fed on formula milk. The organization now says the advice given to millions of breast-feeding mothers was distorted because babies fed on formula milk put on weight far faster."
and later:
"The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health is to meet this summer to discuss the new WHO standards. The Department of Health said: "Once WHO publishes the new growth charts we will assess the need for revisions to the UK growth charts." "- - - - - - - -
Good grief. How slow can you go! Only this very morning, I was crowing about how good the medical establishment can be at abandoning redundant theories...I spoke too soon.
Am off to send this to sister with her "underweight" bfed beautiful children.
Thanks JFT.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2147863,00.html
ReplyDeleteThanks Daryl. Link added.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I saw this, my midwife told me about this 6 yrs ago..why has it taken so long to be "official".
ReplyDeleteJFT x
All 3 of mine were breastfed, and they were what we called "healthy" babies (instead of saying "fat"). They were the some of the chunkiest babies ever!
ReplyDeleteyep, we ran into the same thing when Emma was an infant. We even got referred for an "official" examination! The verdict? She is "genetically predisposed to being small" which, you know, I could have told him, being 5'1" and all...
ReplyDeleteIf I had that info when she was born, I woudl have handed it all OVER the place.
Yep...my feeling is that there is a much wider range of safe normal with bfed babies, since as with Kixque, we have seen positively chunky bfed ones. OTOH we know a number who are extremely slim by today's standards, but who don't appear compromised in any way by being such. They appear to be getting all the essential nutrients without absorbing much fat.
ReplyDeleteI would have thought that genetics would play a part in this, save for the fact that there is an example of both extremes on one family we know. (Could still well be genetics, of course).
Bit mysterious, but am anyhow very glad that there is some questioning of the received wisdom as many families we know have been positively persecuted by these charts.
My bfed baby was also very chunky, but then I didn't do just breast feeding for six months - also introduced food - as much to save me from exhaustion as to meet needs of baby.
ReplyDeleteSaying NOTHING but bfeeding for six months is a bit of a one size fits all idea.
Also know adults - who were very skinny, bfed babies who are now fat, diabetic, middle aged people....but then I suppose there are always exceptions with statistics.
D