Is Breast Really Best?

'Why should I breastfeed?' is a question commonly asked by new mothers when faced with the choice between breast milk and formula for their newborn. There has been much controversy over the years as to whether breast really is best, as claimed by 'lactivists' worldwide

A study released in March 2012 by the Amerian Pediatric Association has brought together all available, peer-reviewed research on the subject, and a very interesting picture has emerged (see original article here). The scientific research has shown that in many areas, from general infant health to brain development, breastfeeding has some significant advantages!

Breastfeeding's effect on infant health

- The risk of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections in the first year is reduced by 72% if an infant breastfeeds exclusively for more than 4 months.

- Serious colds and ear and throat infections were reduced by 63% in infants who exclusively breastfed for 6 months

- Even when an infant is only partially breastfed, there is a 64% reduction in the incidence of gastrointestinal tract infections (tummy bug). Even two months after weaning, this effect can still be seen.

These percentages are not small! There is no room for co-incidence here; breastfeeding really does help a baby to stay healthy.

Breastfeeding and SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

The lastest studies have shown that breastfeeding is associated with a 36% reduced risk of SIDS.

Any mother knows that the fear of SIDS is very real; we all recall waking up at least once in the night and all but shaking baby awake in a panic to make sure he's still breathing. Breastfeeding, coupled with safe sleeping practises will significantly lower the risk of this tragedy befalling your child.

The writers of this study say,

"It has been calculated that more than 900 infant lives per year may be saved in the United States if 90% of mothers exclusively breastfed for 6 months. In the 42 developing countries in which 90% of the world’s childhood deaths occur, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and weaning after 1 year is the most effective intervention, with the potential of preventing more than 1 million infant deaths per year, equal to preventing 13% of the world’s childhood mortality."

One million infant deaths worldwide avoidable through breastfeeding!

The benefits of breastfeeding are really too many to mention in one short article. In later life there is a significant reduction in obesity, in diabetes, in some forms of childhood leukaemia, coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease. There is even evidence to suggest that breastfeeding helps the infant's brain to develop too, as it seems that breastfed children may have higher intelligence.

The bottom line is that breast milk is made by human mothers for human babies! It's made exactly right, with absolutely everything in it that an infant needs to thrive and stay healthy. It's so complex that scientists still don't have all the facts as to exactly why it's the wonder-food that it is, but they have at least settled the debate, as it is now perfectly obvious that those women who have been loudly protesting the lack of breastfeeding in our society were right.

Breast is Best.

Fake Brand-Name Carriers a Safety Hazard

The following warning was released by the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance. 

Source link:  

http://babycarrierindustryalliance.memberlodge.org/fakes

 Please be sure that you buy your baby sling from only a reputable manufacturer and that it's been tested for safety!

 

Fake carriers warning

The BCIA would like our members, businesses and consumers alike, to be aware of the knock-off carriers now being sold on various web sales sites. Many of these carriers are available on a regular basis on eBay, where unscrupulous sellers use well-recognized brand names to sell shoddy copies. They often receive their stock from sites like this one:

http://www.dhgate.com/wholesale/baby-carriers-slings/c028001001.html#DCP028-L2

All the brand name carriers shown in that link (including Ergo, Beco, Hotslings, FreeHand -- rebranded as "Minizone" -- and Moby), are unauthorized copies, complete with stolen designs and instructions. In addition to being illegal, these carriers can be dangerous, due to the poor sewing and materials -- many are sewn with inferior fabrics, and may be easier to tear when in use.

The link is included so that our readers can view the many carriers that have been copied. We DO NOT recommend purchasing from the site, since the carriers are all stolen designs that are more than likely unsafe to use. Importing and distributing carriers, particularly ones that break a patent (as is the case with the fake Ergos) is also illegal, and those who knowingly do so can be prosecuted. Your baby's safety is far more important than saving a few dollars on a cheap carrier!

We urge all consumers to carefully check the packaging on carriers they buy from unknown retailers, and to purchase from reputable sellers when buying a baby carrier. If you are in doubt as to whether a retailer is legitimate, you can check the manufacturer's website.

An example of one of the fake carriers:

Text and photos by Hamilton Radcliffe

Brand: MiniZone

Website:  www.DHGATE.com - this is a wholesale, direct from China website that sells many products at ‘wholesale’ prices.  This is the website where you can buy fake Ergo and Beco  and Moby also.  

Price:  $14-$35 USD

Packaging:  Embroidered FHMT package with the FreeHand Logo replaced by a MiniZone Logo.  Colors are muted.  The bottom of the package says:  

Package Contains 1 Embroidered FreeHand Mei Tai Baby Carrier Made from 100% cotton, Machine Wash cold, tumble dry low, do not dryclean, use cool iron if needed, Do not bleach, Made in Chin

There is no contact information for MiniZone on the packaging.  

Carrier:  There is a tag on the upper right side of the carrier, near the right shoulder strap that says MiniZone, beneath this logo tag is a care and content tag that reads: 

100% COTTON, WASH SEPARATELY PROFESSIONAL DRY CLEAN RECOMMENDED MADE IN CHINA

The shoulder straps and head rest padding are open cell foam.

Brand: FreeHand 

Price: $89.95

Packaging:  FreeHand Mei Tai logo is on upper left corner.  The bottom of the packaging says:  

Package Contains 1 Embroidered FreeHand Mei Tai Baby Carrie, Made from 97% cotton, 3% Spandex, padding 80% cotton, 20% polyester, Machine Wash cold, tumble dry low, Do not dryclean, Use cool iron if needed.  Do not bleach.  Made in India, Lot #XXXXXXX  TogetherBe LLC  www.togetherbe.com

Carrier:  There is a tag on the inside right side of the waist belt that says: 

FreeHand Baby Carrier, www.togetherbe.com Made in India RN#XXXXXX03/10  Lot: XXXXXXX 303-459-2649 

The back of the tag says:  

MACHINE WASH COLD LAY FLAT TO DRY 97% Cotton, 3% Spandex, Padding 80% Cotton, 20% Polyester, PO BOX 6740 Denver CO, BS EN 13209-2:2005 Weight of Child from 2-16KG

There is also the word FREEHAND embroidered on the waist belt.

The shoulder straps and head rest padding are quilters' batting

I purchased a MiniZone MT off of Ebay.  The shoulder straps are not constructed correctly, the shoulder strap fabric is not reinforced and sunk into the body of the carrier.  When I pulled on the straps of the baby carrier the fabric along the top of the head rest ripped.  I then pulled on the other shoulder strap and the fabric ripped on the other side.  Another parent purchased a MIniZone MT off of Ebay and she also pulled on each shoulder strap.  Her carrier did not rip. 

 

If you have purchased or have seen a fake Embroidered FreeHand Mei Tai, please contact Info@TogetherBe.com  

Please do not put your baby into any carrier that has not been tested for safety.   

 

Stop feeling guilty, Moms; you DO know what’s best for your baby!

There’s a strange thing I’ve come across on my baby wearing research travels on the internet, and that is the level of fanaticism displayed by the baby wearing community.

Problem is, that people tend to become fanatical about the things they’re passionate about, and baby wearing is no exception! Why is this a problem? (I can almost hear the myriad voices of the baby wearing community echoing down the corridors of cyberspace) Well, in many ways it’s not a problem at all; there are many reasons to wear your baby, it is extremely beneficial to both mommies and babas, and you are all doing a brilliant job at promoting this age-old concept.

You probably heard the BUT coming, huh? Well, here it is…The problem is that some babies just don’t want to be worn in ANYTHING! These babas like their strollers and their little seats and that’s the only place they are happy. I had one of those babies; my eldest son would scream blue murder as soon as I tried to wear him. He loved to be carried in Mommy’s aching arms, but worn? Never. I couldn’t swaddle him either, much to the disgust of a couple of swaddling-fanatic clinic nurses, who really made me feel as if I was a bad parent for not making my child miserable by pinning his little arms to his sides against his will.

And that is the bottom line. If something makes your child miserable, don’t do it! Here at Rhubarb and Custard, our mission is to help mommies have happy, secure and loved babies. We will never, ever recommend that you make your baby miserable just because we believe strongly in the benefits of our product, and the concept surrounding it.

And we do believe strongly in what we’re doing and why. The scientific research shows us that our product is a good one that helps people, and that’s why we love our business so much. But, we never want a mom to feel guilty for not being able to toe the ‘party line’ when it comes to what everyone says is best. A guilt-ridden mother, I think, is worse for baby than not being worn. Much, much worse!

Trust you instincts, Moms; you’re usually right when it comes to what’s best for your little individual.

Recalled Infantino Pouch Sling; Are all pouch slings dangerous?

A recent South African magazine article about the 2010 recall of the American-produced Infantino 'pouch sling', has caused widepread fear and panic amongst South African babywearers. Mothers are questioning their decision to wear their babies, in the face of what seems to be evidence that pouch slings cause babies to suffocate while they are being worn.

Are they right? Should the recall of these slings due to the death by suffocation of two babies be enough to make South African parents re-think the whole babywearing thing?

In my opinion, if your fears for the safety of your baby prompt you to question yourself about how you do things, it's a good thing! It means you're a good parent, and that you won't be caught out by advertising which encourages you to blindly follow what someone else says is good for your child.

The bottom line here is education. Because of the internet, we no longer have to rely solely on the word of someone who's trying to sell us something, because we have the power to research and look at a wide range of opinions. So... the purpose of this blog post is to provide you, the parent and consumer with the tools you need to make an educated decision on the question of babywearing. And hopefully, to lay the Infantino debacle to rest once and for all.

 http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/10/baby-deaths-raise-concerns-about-infantino-slings.html

The link above is to an article that, on the surface, seems damning to the whole concept of babywearing, as the writer has adopted a 'throw the baby out with the bathwater' (excuse the awful pun!) attitude. There is a whole swathe of comments about the article underneath, including an official comment from Infantino themselves, which makes for some enlightening reading.

http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/safety.php

This one is absolutely essential for any prospective babywearer to read! All parents must act in a responsible manner when caring for a baby, and certain things are very obvious. Like the fact that your pouch sling must leave enough space for your baby to breathe, and that you need to be able to see your baby at al times! One of the major problems with the recalled Infantino sling was that it was sort of like a handbag, and the baby's face was covered. The parents whose babies died hadn't checked on them for a period of time, up to an hour or more, because the baby was 'óut of sight and out of mind'. If you can't see baba's face, don't buy the sling!

http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/WhatTo/PouchesAndSlings.htm

For an easy to read and understand unbiased comparison of different types of slings, complete with pros and cons, please go to the link above. Of course, we'd love you to buy an Rhubarb and Custard sling, but we also want you to be educated enough to make your own choice about what's best for you. Above all else, we believe we are providing a service, and putting the needs of mommies and babies first is part of that.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp#T051101

Last, but not least, click on the link above to read the story of Dr Sears, probably the biggest proponent of babywearing at the moment, to get an idea of why wearing your baby is a GOOD thing!

Hope this helps; please feel free to leave comments. I think that discussion around this topic can only be a good thing, and we want to hear your opinion!

Why Wear Your Baby?

Welcome to the first blog from Rhubarb & Custard. To all those who saw us at the Baby Expo in Cape Town this weekend, we would like to extend a warm thank-you for your support. It’s always great to know that there are so many parents & caregivers out there who love to wear their babies!

Many of you reading this might be wondering; ‘Is it a good thing to wear my baby? Will he develop properly like that?’ The answer to these very pertinent questions is unreservedly yes. A huge amount of research has been done, and there have been found to be so many benefits to wearing your baby that it’s going to take me several blog posts to tell you all about it.

Of course, mothers have been wearing their babies for hundreds of thousands of years; probably since humans discovered their opposable thumbs and realised that it would be nice to still be able to use their hands while carrying an infant.

It was not until the late 1970s, however, that modern research into the benefits of baby wearing really started. Dr Edgar Ray Sanabria became concerned about the high rate of neonatal deaths in his home city of Bogota, Columbia. The problem was, that there were not enough incubators for all the premature babies, and the power supply was intermittent, so the few incubators they had were unreliable. Dr Sanabria started the ‘Kangaroo Care’ therapy for premature babies, in which the baby is placed skin to skin with his mother and tied onto her for several hours every day.

He found that the infants experienced more normalised temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate. They gained weight more quickly than their incubated counterparts, and had less chance of infections. More studies revealed that the infants who received kangaroo care had improved cognitive development, lower stress levels, reduced pain response, normalised growth and better motor development. Often, a prem baby in kangaroo care can be released from hospital sooner than an incubated baby.

For an older child, or a healthy, full-term newborn these benefits can be extended by using a pouch sling. But, more about that next time.