Breastfeeding debate

Do you think children can reach an age where they are too old to be breastfed? Share your thoughts

To breastfeed or formula feed your baby - it's the ultimate dilemma for new mums. Which is best for your baby? Which works for you and your family? And how long should mums breastfeed their children for?

Breastfeeding debate

Author Ann Sinnot (pictured above left) has tackled the taboo topic of mothers breastfeeding their older children and she debated the issue with midwife Clare Byam-Cook, (pictured middle) who although a supporter of breastfeeding, argues strongly against breastfeeding older children. Mother of two Nicola Harris (right) breastfeeds her four-year-old child an insists she will continue to do so for as long as her daughter asks for it.

DoH advice

The latest Department of Health advice is to recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child's life - as six months is the recommended age for the introduction of solid foods for infants.

The guidelines say breastfeeding (and/or breast milk substitutes, if used) should continue beyond the first six months along with appropriate types and amounts of solid foods.

Dr Hilary says...

In an ideal world women would breastfeed their babies for up to six months but they are often not supported enough to do it and therefore they give it up.

I would support any encouragement from the government, but equally I'm critical.

It's all well for the government to unveil these guidelines but they need to support it with the right resources – but instead we are seeing the number of midwives and health visitors in our communities going down.

The World Health Organisation says...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that infants should receive complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond.

The NHS says...

The NHS's breastfeeding website states that breast milk gives babies all the nutrients they need for the first six months of life and helps protect them from infection. It also reduces mothers' chances of getting certain diseases later in life. Breastfeeding also allows you and your baby to get closer, both physically and emotionally.

Bottle feeding does not give your baby the same ingredients as breast milk, which is designed to be easy for your baby to absorb and is perfect to help him or her grow and develop. Also, bottle feeding doesn't provide protection against infection and diseases.

Breastfeeding helps protect your baby against:

• ear infections
• gastro-intestinal infections
• chest infections
• urine infections
• childhood diabetes
• eczema
• obesity
• asthma

Breastfeeding helps protect mothers against:

• ovarian cancer
• breast cancer
• weak bones later in life

And women who breastfeed return to their pre-pregnancy figure faster.

The Breastfeeding Network says...

The Breastfeeding Network supports the recommendations set out in the World Health Organisation's Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding (2003) which states that:

"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health.

"Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond . Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production."

La Leche League GB says...

La Leche League GB supports extended breastfeeding. Spokeswoman Anna Burbridge said: "It's only in the last 100 years that extended breastfeeding has not been considered the cultural norm. It's relatively recent in today's society that it's seen as unusual to breastfeed children up the age of six and that babies are expected to wean earlier. A child's immune system is still developing between the ages of two-and-half and six, so their are many health benefits.

"Permanent molars appear at about six-years-old so this could be some indication of nature's way. Obviously, some children will want to wean earlier than others but what is there to be gained from putting an end to a perfectly healthy breastfeeding relationship.  

"I realise people have concerns about children lacking in independence with extended breastfeeding. But a child who has grown up with a sense of emotional security and love of a mother rather than inanimate objects (such as dummies) will develop his or her own confidence and independence in good time."                                                                                

The National Childcare Trust says...

The NCT's chief executive, Belinda Phipps,said: "Although the majority of the population (84%) are happy to see a young baby breastfed, people in the UK are still generally shocked to see a woman breastfeed a toddler or an older child.

"We know however, that the benefits of breastfeeding continue after six months when solid food is added to a babies milk diet. The fact that anyone is shocked at breastfeeding a baby or child should be the issue for debate - we need to work towards society, which supports mothers and welcomes breastfeeding in general.

"Less than half (42%) of women in the UK are still breastfeeding at six weeks despite the overwhelming evidence of the health benefits of breastfeeding for longer than this. Research shows that these rates are so poor partly due to the lack of support for breastfeeding women.

"Despite the fact that breastfeeding beyond one year is so natural and normal in other parts of the world, here in the UK, women who breastfeed a toddler - there may be 70,000 or so in the UK - feel isolated and unsupported. Feeding a toddler and child is very much taboo in the UK. For those women who choose to continue to offer the benefits of breast milk to their child there should be support not stigma. When to stop breastfeeding is an individual and personal decision made by mother and child."

"The NCT offers support to all parents, regardless of how they feed their babies - whether they breastfeed for two days or two years or formula feed. We aim to provide non-judgmental support and relevant information about baby feeding based on the best available evidence, to allow parents to make their own decisions."

Let us know your thoughts on breastfeeding. Join in the debate below