Black Breastfeeding | Breastfeeding...It's a Beautiful Thing

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Purporting Half-Truths
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

For as long as I live and breath no one will ever be able to convince me that breastfeeding is not the best feeding option for every baby on the planet -- barring very unique circumstances. Although mothers do have the option to breast or bottle feed, breastfeeding will always (no matter what anyone purports) remain the optimal form of infant nutrition. Period. Who told me so? Nature did. That said, I am always cautious when I read articles like this one from Reuters Health. It reports a new study out of Germany links protein lipids in breast milk to an increased risk of a child becoming overweight by age 2. Now, I've heard it all!

What else will people/researchers come up with to scare new mothers out of breastfeeding their children? Most people aren't like those of us who blog, research, and do in-depth reading about breastfeeding. A mother may hear in passing that breastfeeding may cause her child to become overweight and there it goes: A child doesn't receive the natural benefits of breast milk simply because his mother is scared to death that he will become fat all because of an inconclusive study. Unbelievable!

I was also reading an article on Slate.com today called Race, genes, and intelligence. The article brought up the breastfeeding and intelligence study that came out last week reporting breast milk makes a child smarter only if the child has a certain gene. According to this same article (with research from the International HapMap Project) 2.2 percent of the project's Chinese-Japanese population samples, 5 percent of its European-American samples, and 10 percent of its Nigerian samples lack the gene" that would make them smarter if breastfed and may even make them less smart. It's not a huge leap, then, to see a possible link may be forged that claims breastfeeding is intellectually disadvantageous for blacks. I can see it coming already.

For some reason there seems to be a push to make breastfeeding less attractive to new mothers and I really don't understand the reasoning behind this push. But I do know it happens. After all, it has happened before.

Aid to Dependent Children Under the Social Security Act. A mother's loving care and a bottle apparently are the best security a child can have. Between 1940 and 1946 [Emphasis and arrow mine.]

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:24 PM,

8 Comments:

At November 20, 2007 2:37 PM, Eilat said...: I'm with you 100%. Furious and baffled. Who funds these "studies" anyway? And why are they necessary?
At November 20, 2007 3:11 PM, Eilat said...: I wanted to add, now that I have read the Reuters article, that in fact nothing new was said in there, with lots of words. I am constantly frustrated by the high level of scientific illiteracy out there, not just in the general population, but more disturbingly, among journalists. I can't tell you how many times I read an article about some discovery in physics and astronomy (my field) that is TOTALLY WRONG.
The thing is that the consequences of misunderstanding and misrepresenting research in health and biology is that there are real consequences, as you point out.
At November 20, 2007 3:17 PM, Jennifer said...: I've got a blog for you to read Jennifer - www.vwmcclain.blogspot.com

The researches know breastfeeding is significantly better. The formula companies know breastfeeding is significantly better. Unfortunately, there is no money to be made in breastfeeding. The researchers need the formula companies to continue to fund the studies, the formula companies need to continue to perpetuate the myth that breastmilk and formula are the same. It is disgusting.
At November 20, 2007 3:37 PM, ShayShay said...: That's ridiculous. Some people just run large, and why are they worried about an infant, whose job is to grow quickly, getting fat when adults are putting ourselves in oversized graves eating fast food all the time?
At November 20, 2007 4:07 PM, Jennifer said...: I thought of a reason that this article was published recently. "They" are getting ready to release a new infant formula - one with an appetite supressant. We already know formula as an infant increases the risk of obesity later in life. Now they can make a few people think breastmilk does too. The only safe alternative must be this magical, miracle new formula with appetite supressants. I'm sure it will be exta expensive and recommened by physicians for infants who suddenly are deemed "too big" according to the almighty growth chart, provided, of course, by the &^%* formula companies!!!
At November 21, 2007 7:39 AM, Jennifer James said...: Eilat -- You're right! There's no reason for these studies unless they have another agenda, which I suspect is the case.

Jennifer -- Whaaaat? Appetite suppressant? Companies know full well that people are paranoid about obesity. The sad thing is it will sell and sell well if marketed properly.
At November 21, 2007 11:44 AM, Jennifer said...: Frightening, isn't it. Here's a link...

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1261979,00.html

How ironic is it that this "appetitie supressant" hormone that possibly programs your satiation triggers for life is present in breastmilk? I'd bet money that what ever they end up doing to the formula (laboratory created to simulate something resembling what they found in breastmilk) doesn't work the same way. But since it will be years between the release of the formula and the results - and even longer before the connection is made in most peoples minds - the first company to market this stuff will get nice, fat wallets. :(
At November 21, 2007 1:11 PM, Linda said...: "links protein lipids in breast milk to an increased risk of a child becoming overweight"

This made me laugh out loud. There a great big -- gigantic -- assumption here that there is evidence that this particular weight is abnormal and unhealthy. A hundred years ago healthy children were supposed to have round pink cheeks. Now they're supposed to look like professional runners. Whatever. Here's what it really means: these protein lipids in breastmilk may increase risk of your child not fitting into the current culturally-defined ideal. Now, there are certainly people who would forego breastfeeding for such a superficial reason. Hell, there are women who won't breastfeed solely because they think it'll keep their breasts from drooping or because their husbands want them all for themselves. So I can see that. What gets me is pretending that this is about health. Um, no it isn't. Breastmilk is healthiest. Period. And if that means that it produces a certain weight, then that weight is healthiest.