Abstract
Wikipedia (Wiki) is a very popular web-based free encyclopedia written by volunteer contributors, available in nearly 50 languages. The English version of Wiki sports over 3 million articles with more than 11 million registered users. Because writing or editing the articles is essentially a free-for-all after simply registering, let's see how Wiki users treat the subject of breastfeeding.
Upon performing a Google search for “breastfeeding,” Wikipedia emerged as the seventh reference, right after womenshealth.gov and youtube.com.
If Wiki is any indication, there is reassuring evidence that the global populace accepts breastfeeding as the gold standard for infant feeding. Breastfeeding is defined in Wiki as direct feeding from the breast as opposed to a bottle, and human breastmilk is described as the healthiest form of milk for human babies, with few exceptions. The major benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby are covered, although there is little discussion about the risks of formula feeding. Breastfeeding advocates are apparently monitoring some of this information because a few of the references are quite recent.
Some advice is basically conjectural and bad, such as “Babies feed differently with artificial teats than from a breast. With the breast, the infant's tongue massages the milk out rather than sucking, and the nipple does not go as far into the mouth; with an artificial teat, an infant will suck harder and the milk may come in more rapidly.”
Although latch and suck are discussed, no photos are present to demonstrate the points, and no references are made to some of the excellent web resources available.
There is no information on managing problems during breastfeeding, and some of the advice is unsafe, such as how to tell if the baby is taking enough milk.
The milk storage information is misleading, as it is based on the results of one study, rather than the Academyof Breastfeeding Medicine or La Leche League protocols.
A nice surprise is a page on lactation rooms, which discusses the benefits of supporting lactation in the workplace. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's “Healthy Workplace Initiative” is referenced, along with a link to the American Institute of Architects' Lactation Room Design (http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/ek_public/documents/pdf/aiap037226.pdf). This document not only details the steps involved during a pumping session, but also provides a thorough list of room specifications. The organization recommends particular adaptations for auditory comfort, room size dimensions, furniture and electric needs, chair requirements, amount of subcounter knee space, faucet design for the sink, and other accessories.
Other Wiki fun facts related to lactation include a page devoted to “Mom's Breastaurant” (http://www.momsbreastaurant.org/index.shtml), which is a nonprofit service that provides shelter and accommodations for nursing women at outdoor events, mainly in the California region. There are also pages on lactational amenorrhea, male lactation, historical details on who was wet-nursed when, religious beliefs regarding milk kinship, human milk banking, the definition of a nursing chair, international perspectives on breastfeeding in public, the U.S. Child's Right to Nurse Act, and baby-led weaning.
Wikipedia has the potential of becoming a popular resource for breastfeeding information because of its ready appearance during web searching and its enormous user population. Unfortunately, much of the breastfeeding management information is misleading and even dangerous. Because it is likely that worldwide web access is greater than healthcare access, improving breastfeeding information on Wiki should be part of a smart and effective global public health campaign.