Formula milk is fuelling obesity, warns top doctor
LOW breastfeeding rates and sugary baby foods are fuelling our obesity crisis, the UK’s leading children’s doctor has warned.
Formula-fed babies are more likely to grow up obese and develop health problems, Dr Camilla Kingdon said.
But just 81 per cent of mothers breastfeed newborns, with 34 per cent continuing after six months.
Dr Kingdon, the new president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, accused formula firms of ‘pursuing stressed parents’ to boost profits. And she said a huge shortage of health visitors means new parents are not getting the advice they need to help them make the right choices.
Many children are weaned with pre-prepared foods that give them a sweet tooth and instil ‘unfortunate habits’, she added. Speaking to the Daily Mail in her first interview since taking up her role this week, Dr Kingdon said: ‘Breastfeeding rates in this country are not nearly as good as they could and should be... We know that breastfeeding is one of the most important public health interventions and it costs nothing.’
She said benefits include a lower risk of postnatal depression for mothers, reduced risk of infections for babies, and protection against some cancers – along with growing evidence that it protects against obesity.
A third of children in England are overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school.
Dr Kingdon, who has two daughters aged 18 and 21, continued: ‘I found it very difficult with my first and used formula. What I don’t agree with is the formula industry pursuing stressed parents in order to make their profit – especially when it’s at the expense of the health of both the child and the mother, never mind the cost.’
Dr Kingdon said many parents now think it is normal to buy sugary baby food when it would be cheaper and healthier to cook one family meal. Meanwhile, the Institute of Health Visiting says health visitor numbers have fallen by a third in five years, with staff looking after up to ten times as many babies as they should.
These extra-qualified nurses or midwives typically make five visits to advise on feeding and raising children and to identify problems.
Dr Kingdon, a consultant neonatologist, said the UK must invest in these staff so mothers feel supported to breastfeed.
Her college advises breastfeeding exclusively for up to six months and then alongside solid food for as long as mothers wish. It adds that healthcare staff should respect women who are unable or choose not to breastfeed.
Dr Kingdon also said it was important not to ‘heap guilt’ on busy parents who are doing their best. She said she has never known a more difficult time to be a parent and praised them for doing a ‘phenomenal job’ while schools have been closed.