Ideology, not medical reality, has infected much of modern parenting. The most compelling pediatric articles -- centered around misguided activism that still persists -- focused on infant feeding, vaccines and mom-shaming.
infant feeding
With the release of the CDC's 2018 breastfeeding scorecard, it is time to add common sense into these failed policies that actually supports women and families.
The negative impact of (1) "at-all-costs" breastfeeding campaigns, (2) the political zeal of "lactivism" and (3) societal pressures have done a proven disservice to women and families. So much so that formal health policy had to be changed.
Though well-intentioned, "at all costs" breastfeeding messages are routinely misguided. And even intellectually dishonest.
In the first of a series for the FOX podcast network, the Council's medical director clarifies misperceptions surrounding infant nutrition. This includes new trends, like importing specific organic formulas from overseas for being so-called "more pure" or "natural."
When it comes to infant feeding, recent survey data from the Centers for Disease Control does more to add to the guideline burden than benefit a baby – let alone the parent.
Currently, breastfeeding is seen as the best (and some would say, only) choice for feeding babies. And many have fought for years to make this position a cultural norm. But the flip side of this position is that feeding formula, although a perfectly reasonable choice, has come to be seen as a dereliction of a mother's responsibility to guard her baby's welfare. Shouldn't feminists fight harder for freedom to choose?
It s well known that breastfeeding is beneficial for both mother and child in a variety of ways in addition to the transfer of natural antibodies, it is associated with lower risks of allergic diseases, lower respiratory infections and middle ear infections.