Only 1% of mothers breastfeed for the recommended 6 months

A recent survey has revealed that only 1 in every 100 mothers breastfeed their babies for at least six months, which is the current minimum length of time recommended by midwives and other healthcare professionals. Data shows that while three quarters of mums start by breastfeeding their newborn, very few maintain it. Older mothers and clerical/professional career women (white collar) are more likely to continue to breastfeed than younger mums and those not working, or in more "blue collar" roles. Studies have shown breastfed children to have greater immunity later in life, and it is generally agreed that breastfeeding is best for baby. Although 6 months is the recommended minimum, continuing to breastfeed for the first year has been shown to provide health benefits to both mother and child.

Watching too much TV can be bad for children

According to researchers at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Centre in Seattle, children under two years old should not be allowed to watch TV for any length of time, whereas older children should not watch TV for more than two hours a day. This is because according to the research, every hour a child spends watching TV can contribute to a 10% increase possibility of a child developing attention deficit disorder. The researchers have observed 1345 children watching TV for three hours a day and concluded it led to a 30% increased changes of developing attention deficit disorder. According to Dr Dimitri Christakis the brains of newborn babies are constantly developing at a very rapid rate during the first two to three years of life, therefore television can over stimulate the brain of newborns, as it releases too much information during a short period of time. Over stimulation of the brain at a young age through television can lead to future problems at school, as school activities and homework require much less stimulation, which the child is not used to, as television programs for young children change image very quickly in order to keep children interested. The research involved asking parents how often their children watch television, then the children’s behaviour at age seven was compared to the diagnose of attention deficit disorders. The children who watched most television at a very early age had 10% more chance of developing concentration problems, impulsiveness, restlessness as well as being easily confused. The researchers of the University of Washington say that it is not clear how much television children under three can watch safely, but each hour spent in front of the television increases the risk of a child developing attention deficit disorder. The number of children with attention deficit disorder in the US is between 3 and 5 percent, but the researchers confessed that it is hard to tell if children with attention problems are more prone to be attracted to the television anyway. Also parents’ views of their children behaviour may not be absolute accurate, which can affect the outcome of the research. Source: BBC website

Bringing up baby

I sat in front of the television last night in horror, when I watched the so called maternity nurse guru Claire Verity in the channel 4 series Bringing up baby, train two couples to bring their babies up following the 1950s routine from Dr Frederic Truby King. Dr Frederic Truby King’s Strict Routine Method emphasis that all babies should be treated the same. For me it does not work because all babies and mums are different and cannot be treated like machines. This method says that babies should be fed strictly every four hours and mum should not make any eye contact and keep the baby away from her body. This could not be more inhumane and unnatural to the baby. Firstly, babies should be breastfed whenever possible, as this is the most natural way to feed a baby, it also helps the baby to develop their immune system effectively, protect against infections and allergies, also helps to bond with mum. It is impossible to breastfed a newborn every four hours, as breastfed babies tend to eat every hour or so during the first few weeks of life and gradually increase the gap to every for hours. As babies are born with stomachs the size of a walnut, they need small and frequent amounts of food. When babies are bottle fed every four hours from the beginning their stomach is inflated to accommodate all the food, also formula milk is more difficult to digest and can lead to constipation, wind, colic and bloated tummy. When babies are breastfed they are very close to their mothers, which make them feel secure and reassured, also it is the best time to make eye contact and bond with the baby. For me having a baby is not about sleeping through the night and having a normal life back as before the baby arrived, because it is naturally impossible. Looking after a newborn baby is about enjoyment, pleasure, happiness, tiredness and sleepless nights for a little while. It is about spending time with the baby and learn through mistakes. This is a time of discovery for mum and baby, it is about learning to know your baby and develop with them and then once the baby grows to be a fine man or woman, look back and be proud of all the hard work and time spent with them, which was not in vain. The 1950’s method of bringing up babies is a post war approach, which discourages contact between parents and babies, with the hope to detach babies from parents as soon as possible in order to have an independent child. Dr Frederic Truby King recommends a mere 10 minutes of cuddling per day. I find this insane, even pets get more cuddle than that. Babies are born to be loved and cuddled as much as possible, all humans are born with a survival instinct to hold on to mummy or daddy, as they need to be reassured and comforted in order to feel safe. In fact resent studies have suggested that babies should be held at least for four hours per day in order to avoid mental health problems later on in life. Cuddles also release a feel good factor for baby and parents and having a baby is about having fun with him or her and give them cuddles whenever you feel like it. For me, you can never have too much of it and any forced restrictions on cuddles can not only damage the relationship between the baby and the parents but also spoil a precious and special moment that passes by very quickly indeed. Everyone knows that fresh air is good for you, but I find it incomprehensible the idea that babies should be left outside on their own for hours on end… as a parent I want to know my baby is safe and I would not feel at ease by leaving him in the garden on his own with the door shut behind him, knowing that he could be in danger of being attacked by cats or foxes or even be snatched by a stranger. I think the 1950’s method of bringing up babies is an abuse of the baby’s human rights, as it is no different from neglecting a child. It is hard enough going through birth, babies should not be treated in this way. If a baby is crying it is in need of something, as a parent I want to make sure my baby is content and comfortable with all his needs fulfilled. At the end of the day, a happy baby is a cuddled baby.