“My baby keeps bringing up his feeds!”

Dear Editors

I was both shocked and disappointed on reading Banjeree’s 10 minute
consultation “My baby keeps bringing up his feeds!” to find no mention of
breastmilk or breastfeeding.1 The authors assume the baby was artificially
fed from presentation. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive
breastfeeding until six months of age.2 And yet whilst breastfeeding
initiation rates had increased to 76% in the UK according to the 2005
Infant Feeding Survey this figure dropped to 45% of women exclusively
breastfeeding at one week and less than 1% by six months.3 Perhaps this is
why the authors failed to acknowledge it in their consultation?

Reflux, gastroenteritis, and constipation are all less common in
breastfed babies.4,5

Omitting a discussion on management in a breastfed baby
and the protective effects of breastfeeding makes this is an unbalanced
article and a proponent to artificial feeding.

By listing the different types of formula suggested for each
complaint, without any reference to the benefits of breastfeeding, this
article may have the doubtless unintended consequence of promoting a
switch from breast to bottle.

1. Banjeree J, Roy M, Bhojani S et al. 10 minute consultation “My
baby keeps bringing up his feeds!” BMJ 2010;340:c2189

2. Bolling K, Grant C, Hamlyn B et al. Infant Feeding Survey 2005.
London: The Information Centre for Health and Social Care 2007

3. World Health Organisation (1989) Protecting, promoting and
supporting breastfeeding Geneva: WHO

4. Heacock HJ, Jeffery HE, Baker JL, Page M. Influence of breast
versus formula milk on physiological gastroesophageal reflux in healthy,
newborn infants. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1992 Jan;14(1):41-6.

5. Palmer G (2009) The Politics of Breastfeeding: When breasts are
bad for business 3rd Edition, London Printer & Martin Ltd

Competing interests:
Julia Dalton is a trainee breastfeeding counsellor for the National Childbirth Trust