A Week in the News - 15th November 2013

In the past week we have been witness to the shocking events in the Philippines and the devastation caused by the tropical storm that hit the islands last week. Whilst we were aware of the storm last week, it has only been in the past few days that the real damage has revealed itself. The fundraising this has caused in the UK has been unprecedented, and we all hope that the aid reaches the areas it needs to as soon as possible. Our focus moves to the news in the world of babies that caught our attention this week though.

Breastfeeding Bribes?

Various news outlets including the BBC, looked at the suggestion that mothers could be offered £200 in vouchers to breastfeed. The breast vs bottle debate is always once which sparks serious arguments from both sides, and this is clearly more fuel for the fire, especially as mothers are being offered money to breastfeed. Now I’m not saying that mothers will not be happy to be offered £200 to make a decision they may have already been making, but it seems like an odd offer to make and one that is bound to increase tensions in the never-ending debate.

It seems to me that this offer is a form of bribery, but also a punishment to those who do not intend to breastfeed their child. Many people claim ‘breast is best’ which is an opinion people are entitled to - but what if you physically can not breast feed your baby? These parents are now being punished to the tune of £200 for something they could never do in the first place. Even mothers who decide that they just want to bottle feed are being punished for making that decision. I doubt this scheme will catch on, purely because it will cause anger and resentment - surely there are better methods that could be used to promote breastfeeding across the country?

Premature Babies, Midwives and Kangaroo Care

There was a report in the Daily Mail this week which revealed that boys are 14% more likely to be born premature in comparison to girls. Whilst this may not be mind blowing news, it’s interesting to see that it is not only after babies are born that girls mature more quickly, but also in the womb. It’s clear that boys and girls probably need different types of care when they are born prematurely - dependent on how early they are born - and it’s interesting to see statistics such as this.

Premature babies could also benefit, according to the BBC, from kangaroo care and not necessarily a rush to put them on machines. The reports suggest that if a baby is in close contact, preferably skin-to-skin, with their mother after being born then this can help to regulate temperate and breathing. It can also help to prevent infection and promote breastfeeding. Whilst in the UK we do have fantastic medical facilities, it’s not always needed, especially if a baby doesn’t have breathing problems - is this something that will catch on? Needless to say if it does we will still need midwives, but a story in the Telegraph suggests that one in four midwives are considering quitting their role. This is due to problems with pay and conditions and is something that has many parents and hospitals worried. We have been discussing this for a long time now, and we hope that it can be resolved sooner rather than later. We already lack the midwives that we need, and this issue could soon be serious.

We’ll see you next week, but in the mean time please follow us on Twitter - @MumNetwork.

About the author

James Brighton

Since 2011 James has been in charge of working with and organising all our writers to put together Pregnancy.co.uk and Babies.co.uk. Anna, his girlfriend, knows he will be an encyclopaedia of knowledge if she ever falls pregnant!

Click here to read my full biography.

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