As if we needed another reason to never listen to the CDC. Follow the science, you guys.
The CDC made one of the most anti-science claims I’ve ever read under the “Health Equity Considerations” section of its website.
Under “Infant and Young Child Feeding Toolkit,” the CDC insists (emphasis mine):
Remember that:
- Transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed). The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different from their sex at birth. The gender identity of nonbinary-gendered individuals does not fit neatly into either man or woman.
- An individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed.
- Some families may have other preferred terminology for how they feed their babies, such as nursing, chestfeeding, or bodyfeeding.
Science: Only a biological female can give birth and breastfeed.
Oh, by the way, men have breasts. They have breast tissue behind the nipple, which is how men get breast cancer.
Then there’s the breastfeeding section. Fox News mentioned “chestfeeding” appeared in this section under the FAQ about breastfeeding after breast surgery.
I cannot even (emphasis theirs):
Can transgender parents who have had breast surgery breastfeed or chestfeed their infants?Yes. Some transgender parents who have had breast/top surgery may wish to breastfeed, or chestfeed (a term used by some transgender and non-binary parents), their infants. Healthcare providers working with these families should be familiar with medical, emotional, and social aspects of gender transitions to provide optimal family-centered care and meet the nutritional needs of the infant. These families may need help with the following:
- Maximizing milk production
- Supplementing with pasteurized donor human milk or formula
- Medication to induce lactation or avoiding medications that inhibit lactation
- Suppressing lactation (for those choosing not to breastfeed or chestfeed)
- Finding appropriate lactation management support, peer support, and/or emotional support
Learn more about how to support transgender persons.
The CDC failed to mention possible health risks passed to babies through the milk from Domperidone, an anti-nausea drug that also increases milk production.
The FDA warned breastfeeding women not to take Domperidone to encourage milk production:
The agency is concerned with the potential public health risks associated with domperidone. There have been several published reports and case studies of cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death in patients receiving an intravenous form of domperidone that has been withdrawn from marketing in a number of countries. In several countries where the oral form of domperidone continues to be marketed, labels for the product contain specific warnings against use of domperidone by breastfeeding women and note that the drug is excreted in breast milk that could expose a breastfeeding infant to unknown risks. Because of the possibility of serious adverse effects, FDA recommends that breastfeeding women not use domperidone to increase milk production.The FDA recognizes the immense health benefits that breast milk provides for a nursing infant and is taking these actions today not to discourage women from breastfeeding but rather to warn them not to use this particular drug while they are breastfeeding.
For the love of everything holy. Everything you ingest during pregnancy and breastfeeding can pass to your baby. That’s why you do not drink or smoke. You cannot eat tuna, cold deli meats, raw fish, or unpasteurized cheeses. You have to avoid caffeine. You cannot take certain medications.
I know when breastfeeding, you should avoid broccoli because it can make the baby gassy.
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