Breast is no longer best: promoting normal infant feeding
Nina J Berry1, Karleen D Gribble
1Centre for Health Initiatives, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. njb@uow.edu.au
Maternal & Child Nutrition
|January 4, 2008
Summary
New World Health Organization (WHO) growth charts establish breastfed infants as the normal model for development. Promoting breastfeeding as normal, not just optimal, is key for infant health and research.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Previous infant growth standards often idealized breastfeeding without establishing it as the normative model.
- The perception of formula feeding as standard has been inadvertently reinforced by past approaches to breastfeeding promotion.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has released new growth charts based on the Multicenter Growth Reference Study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the new WHO growth charts that define breastfed infants as the normative model for infant growth and development.
- To advocate for a shift in breastfeeding promotion strategies from 'breast is best' to normalizing breastfeeding.
- To recommend the use of breastfed infants (following WHO guidelines) as the standard reference group in future research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the WHO Multicenter Growth Reference Study.
- Comparison of new growth standards with previous practices in infant feeding and growth assessment.
- Review of current breastfeeding promotion messages and research methodologies.
Main Results:
- The new WHO growth standards identify breastfed infants as the normative model for growth.
- This approach contrasts with prior practices that positioned breastfeeding as merely optimal.
- The study highlights the counterproductive effect of idealizing breastfeeding, which may have normalized formula feeding.
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding promotion and education should adopt messages that normalize breastfeeding, moving away from the 'breast is best' paradigm.
- Future research should utilize infants breastfed according to WHO recommendations as the standard reference or control group.
- Establishing breastfed infants as the normative model is crucial for accurate understanding and support of infant development.
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