I am pleased to be able to lead a debate today on the important issue of breastfeeding, which is not discussed enough in society or in Parliament. According to the Scottish Parliament information centre, it has never been the principal subject of a Government-led debate in the Scottish Parliament. That is concerning because low breastfeeding rates cost money and lives, as is proved in the UNICEF UK-commissioned report of last year, “Preventing disease and saving resources: the potential contribution of increasing breastfeeding rates in the UK”.
I will expand on that later, but first I want to welcome health workers, mums and babies from my constituency and other parts of Scotland to the gallery. I extend a particularly warm welcome to Jenny Warren, who was our national breastfeeding adviser until 2005. Unfortunately, that post no longer exists, which is a bit of a problem, since the World Health Organization’s strategy spells out the need to appoint a national breastfeeding co-ordinator. We do not seem to have an infant feeding adviser in post, either.
A breastfeeding-friendly Scotland needs commitment and understanding from our young people, so I am delighted that members of Coatbridge and Chryston youth forum are here today and are taking an interest in the issue.
The abuse on Facebook of breastfeeding mum Emily Slough shows us that appalling misogynistic insults are still being aimed at mothers for normal and nurturing maternal behaviour. I want to congratulate Emily and the thousands of people across the UK who supported her, on their protesting against such atrocious attitudes. I do not have time to go into the sexual politics, but others will do so. I just want to say that it is crazy that it is okay for breasts to be ogled on page 3, but cannot be seen in public feeding hungry babies.
During the passage of my member’s bill, the Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Bill, I detailed the advantages of mother’s milk, so I will leave it to others to mention the undisputed health benefits of this unique designer food. Today, I want to concentrate my limited time on other aspects of our low breastfeeding rates and the effects on our nation’s health.
In “The Politics of Breastfeeding”, Gabrielle Palmer tells us that every 30 seconds, a baby dies from infection due to lack of breastfeeding, through use of bottles, artificial milks and other risky products. She goes on to say:
“If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers’ needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market.”
However, of course, instead of women who produce this miraculous substance being celebrated, supported and encouraged to feed their designer food to their babies, big corporations profit from selling an inferior substitute. So, how did that happen?
In the late 1800s, improvements in dairy production led to a whey surplus that needed a market outlet: that became the basis for artificial baby milk. It was used not because research had proved it to be the most suitable food, but because it was there and it was cheap. Big business found an outlet for a by-product of the milk industry, then aggressively marketed that inferior product to women who paid for it, rather than using the fabulous, exclusive and free product that they produce themselves. It is, frankly, unbelievable.
In the “Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding”, the WHO and UNICEF said:
“lack of breastfeeding—and especially lack of exclusive breastfeeding during the first half-year of life—are important risk factors for infant and childhood morbidity and mortality”.
In other words, not breastfeeding can be very bad for children’s health. As a society, we shy away from putting it in those terms, perhaps in case we offend those who have chosen to feed artificially or those who simply cannot breastfeed. The latter are a tiny minority—less than 1 per cent—and there are, of course, other options including milk banks, which is an issue that needs further discussion.
However, in worrying about offending some parents, we put lives at risk, we fail to take important steps to challenge our ill health and obesity, and we spend vast sums dealing with the consequences.
We need to ensure that society is well educated about the wonders of breast milk and the dangers of artificial milk, so that families can make real informed choices instead of just following social norms with no idea of the risks. Most parents want what is best for their children, but I do not believe that the majority know what formula milk is and why it is different from breast milk. It is understandable, then, that so many choose to use it.
The UNICEF UK-commissioned report not only tells us that low breastfeeding rates lead to increased incidence of illness, with a significant cost to the national health service, but supports that fact with hard figures—probably for the first time—showing that moderate increases in breastfeeding translate into huge cost savings. For example, if only half the mothers who do not breastfeed were to do so for up to 18 months, there would be 865 fewer cases of breast cancer, meaning a saving of £21 million and improved quality of life equating to more than £10 million for each annual cohort of first-time mothers. If 45 per cent of babies were exclusively breastfed for four months, and if 75 per cent of babies in neonatal units were breastfed at discharge, more than 3,000 fewer babies would be hospitalised with gastroenteritis, nearly 6,000 fewer babies would be hospitalised with respiratory illness, and there would be more than 300 fewer cases of the potentially fatal disease necrotising enterocolitis. Together, those things would save more than £16.3 million.
Those are all in the first category of savings for which it is possible to provide quantitative economic models based on strong evidence. There are another three categories, in which the benefits include an increase in IQ, fewer cases of sudden infant death syndrome and reductions in childhood obesity. Those other categories need a wee bit more research. The report shows conclusively that breastfeeding is a major public health issue and that low breastfeeding rates cost the NHS millions each year.
So, what should we do? I propose better support in communities, the inclusion of breastfeeding education in school curriculums and the provision to parents of proper information about the risks of not breastfeeding. We also need regular reports to Parliament on the progress of the Scottish Government’s framework and the specific steps that are being taken to increase breastfeeding rates, in order that we can sustain breastfeeding and change societal attitudes. The report tells us that we need breastfeeding to be a priority for all NHS boards, and that we need effective implementation of standards on baby-friendly initiatives, access to well-trained health professionals who understand the benefits of breastfeeding, and further research and funding.
The report also tells us that we need to strengthen and use existing legislation such as the Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Act 2005. As far as I am aware, that act has been used only once, resulting in a slap-on-the-wrist letter to a company that verbally abused a mother and baby before it threw them out on to Sauchiehall Street. I hope that women report any attempts to stop their breastfeeding in public to the police, because it is illegal, and I hope that proper action can be taken. Perhaps the cabinet secretary can tell us why the promotional leaflet for the Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Act 2005 has not been reprinted, although that information is important.
It is worrying that many people talk about discreet breastfeeding, including on the Government’s own website. We need to see it and talk about it if we are to fundamentally change social attitudes and encourage others to breastfeed. On Monday, blogger Mama Bean made the point that breastfeeding should not be
“a secret art form preserved for private rooms & hushed conversations”.
We need increased Government commitment to ensuring that the barriers for mothers are removed, and we need society to recognise that breastfeeding is normal and should be seen in public. The reward for that will be a much healthier population, less illness among babies and massive savings for the NHS.
Celebrating and supporting breastfeeding is good for mums and babies, good for society and good for the public purse. Breast is, indeed, best.
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