Breastfeeding information in pediatric textbooks needs improvement

The objective of this study is to determine if breastfeeding information in general pediatric textbooks used in the United States is accurate and up-to-date. Seven pediatric textbooks published between 1999 and 2002 were reviewed. Three reviewers examined breastfeeding content in each text independently. Using a standardized scoring sheet, each book was evaluated for inclusion of 15 basic breastfeeding criteria. Of the 15 criteria scored, the mean number present in each textbook was 11. The mean number of criteria that were correct was 7.6 (3.4 for incorrect or inconsistent criteria). The mean number of criteria omitted was 4. For each of the texts, the number of correct responses divided by the number of criteria present was 7/11 (64%), 11/14 (79%), 5/11 (45%), 9/11 (82%), 11/13 (85%), 8/9 (89%), and 2/8 (25%). Thus, breastfeeding information in these texts, when not omitted, is highly variable and at times inaccurate and inconsistent.