Opinion: Letters

The 'new research' that breast milk is no better than formula milk (News, 14 January) is seriously wrong, according to the experts at Baby Milk Action, the UK's leading body on baby milks.

They point out that Professor Sven Carlsen, who led the research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is not a specialist in breastfeeding. However, having looked at the amounts of testosterone in and general health of pregnant women, he seems to have extrapolated from that the curious idea that it doesn't matter what babies are fed.

UNICEF has commented that his claims 'do not account for the large differences in breastfeeding rates between countries'. His research also ignores crucial factors such as birthweight, delivery methods, separation of mother and child after birth, and so on, which may have been relevant.

UNICEF also points out that while Professor Carlsen reviewed only 50 studies to state that breastfed babies were 'slightly healthier', good evidence from 400 studies 'found that breastfeeding is associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of: acute otitis media, non-specific gastroenteritis, severe lower respiratory tract infections, atopic dermatitis, obesity, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, childhood leukaemia, sudden infant death syndrome, necrotizing enterocolitis, maternal breast cancer and ovarian cancer'.

To quote Karleen Gribble, an expert on breastfeeding and adjunct research fellow in the School of Nursing at the University of Western Sydney, 'Breastfeeding is the normal way of feeding babies... Artificial feeding is risky and dangerous. It actively and passively harms the immune system and the health of infants... (If) we fail to effectively communicate the importance of breastfeeding and the risks of formula feeding, we actually assist in the promotion of formula feeding.'

For full details, see Baby Milk Action at: http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-carlsen-said.html

Mary Whiting, author specialising in nutrition for young children

MIXED MARKET CARE

One can accept the need for consolidation in the nursery market in these recessionary times (News, 21 January) but this sits nicely alongside Dr Helen Penn (Analysis, 21 January) who argues that this isn't the only way we need to go.

A belief in a mixed-market approach seems to be very strong in today's thinking. Fragmentation, though, is a danger as well; we may crucially lose sight of the bigger picture. Those of us who've been around long enough will regret the demise of the state nursery sector, currently under fire from the Early Years Single Funding Formula. The original aim here was to be able to offer many children some sort of early and worthy intervention; one which, given the current focus on equality, social class and mobility, becomes even more valid.

As early years educators, we know quite a bit about diversity and inclusion, but is there the space within our learning and training facilities and curricula to really think and explore what social justice or equality of opportunity might be in an early years context?

Andrew Sanders, senior lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, University of Derby

JOINED UP THINKING

I want to share an experience involving two of our children, Ann and Sam. Sam joined in Ann's play with an Etch-a-Sketch-type toy and together they passed the toy between them until it was time for Ann to leave. Each child kept adding to the drawing, which Ann described: 'The two squares are boxes and there are robots inside.'

The children went on to the tennis club to watch their siblings play, so both mothers brought crayons for the children to continue their drawing. Next morning, Sam arrived with an unfinished picture that he wanted to complete with a friend. Another boy joined him to continue the drawing.

We are always trying to encourage parents to extend what we do at nursery, with varying results. These two parents responded brilliantly. To encourage other parents, I am making a display with photographs of Ann and Sam's 'story' - they, of course, are the real stars.

Wendy Mould, senior practitioner, Flying Start Nursery, Shaftesbury

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