Joanna Moorhead investigates Until recently, there seemed to be no doubts about breastfeeding. Whether you wanted to do it or not, whether you could do it or not, the message was always that it would give your baby the best start in life. Now, though, the picture isn't so crystal clear, due to a small but steady stream of studies which seem to undermine the message.
Breast milk is polluted, says one report.
It can give your child heart disease in later life, says another. It might pass on asthma if you're a sufferer, suggests a third. That's not to say the research is worthless, or that it won't lead to further investigations, but the bottom line is that in general the 'risks' being identified in these studies are tiny. Set against the undisputed health benefits of breastfeeding, the potential risks aren't worrying enough to suggest that any mother should change her plans to breastfeed or stop breastfeeding before she wants to. The studies Of course, these studies are, and will continue to be, a bit worrying - but what's important to realise is that the worries are mostly about the future of whole populations, rather than about individual families.