I've just been sent a copy of this book to review and it is making me tear 
my hair out!! It is being promoted by Toronto's Sick Kids Hospital, and is 
written by two pediatricians.

In the feeding section, we have one page of "Advantages of Breastfeeding" 
this is nicely matched by TWO pages listing "Disadvantages of 
Breastfeeding." Still considering it? Well, this is followed by another page 
of "Contraindications to Breastfeeding." The next two pages list four 
"Advantages to Formula Feeding" and only three "Disadvantages of Formula 
Feeding." One of this is: "Babies who are fed formula are at a SLIGHTLY 
increased risk for infection." (Yes, the word slightly is emphasized in the 
book.)

There are, of course, helpful illustrations for mothers wanting to 
breastfeed. The drawings feature a breast that looks more like a bottle than 
any breast I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot), and the mother appears to 
hold it in her hand and feed it into the baby's mouth - coincidentally, just 
like she might do with a bottle.

Let's look at starting solid foods. In the first paragraph, the authors 
acknowledge the recommendation for exclusive breastfeeding for six months. 
In paragraph two, they say "Six months is not carved in stone. You can start 
solid foods at four months if other commitments interfere with your ability 
to breastfeed or even if you simply can't wait to begin." (Yes, there's a 
really good reason for giving a baby solid foods - because the parents can't 
wait.) And in the "Sam's diary" (story of a baby told throughout the book), 
the baby - who is breastfed, except of course for the mandatory one bottle a 
day - has already been on solid foods for ten days when he reaches his 
four-month birthday. So even four months might be too long if you "simply 
can't wait."

I will now resist the temptation to go on at great length about the sleep 
training section which is as infuriating as these two. There is, perhaps 
surprisingly, a section on co-sleeping which while being cautious and fairly 
unenthusiastic (and suggesting that you should get the baby out of your bed 
by 8 months old or it will be very hard to do so later) basically gives 
guidelines for safe bedsharing and doesn't outright condemn it.

I know this book will be widely distributed and read by new mothers who see 
the hospital as a great source of baby care expertise. It makes me feel very 
sad that they will get so much less-than-helpful advice on such important 
issues.

Teresa Pitman 

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