Breastfeeding Of Babies By Single Women - A Poser.

The tendency among some women to take pills that encourage milk production and feed the milk to their adopted babies could disrupt the social structure, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Sahrizat Abdul Jalil said Monday.

"We want the current social structure in which couples marry and have children. But women who are not married and take pills to encourage milk production are causing concern," she told reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidiladha and sacrificial slaughter of cattle organised by Kepong Wanita Umno, Monday.

The issue of single women breastfeeding adopted babies was raised in Parliament by Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim recently.

She would seek the opinion of the Health Ministry on the risks such women were facing, she said.

"They may have good intentions, but they must get married first before milking the babies," said Shahrizat.

***** Pardon me for my ignorance, but how much of 'disruption of the social structure' is the enlightened Minister expecting from single mothers who breastfeed? Everyone knows about the many benefits of breast milk and to advice that single mothers deny that to the poor infants because of some vague fear of 'social structure disruption' sounds to me like a very irresponsible thing to do and seems like a heartless attempt to play to the gallery and appease some target group.

Will some paediatrician or a paediatric psychologist(?) advice the Minister before she goes around screaming "social disruption" to prevent babies of single mothers from being breastfed. Those with the knowledge on this topic are encouraged to give their opinion here.
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