We are concerned about breastfeeding promotion that praises breastfeeding as the “natural” way to feed infants. This messaging plays into a powerful perspective that “natural” approaches to health are better, a view examined in a recent report by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.2 Promoting breastfeeding as “natural” may be ethically problematic, and, even more troublingly, it may bolster this belief that “natural” approaches are presumptively healthier. This may ultimately challenge public health’s aims in other contexts, particularly childhood vaccination.
VLA comment: I can only guess (or even hope) that the full article which is not available to us yet may indicate that doctors are flooding the populations with anti depressants and anti psychotic drugs which pregnant mothers have become addicted to and might pass via the breast milk. However, if the mother is taking these drugs during pregnancy, it is unfortunately a done deal anyway for the baby. I wonder what she means at it pertains to childhood vaccination. Perhaps the author thinks that those who breastfeed feel comfortable that they are providing antibodies to the baby via the breast milk (which they are) and therefore will postpone vaccinations. I will try to get the whole article. By for now!