The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is having to face with reality after publishing guidance that says men can breastfeed.
The CDC’s advice included information on how men who identify as women or are taking hormones to develop breasts can feed their newborn children, using the term “chestfeeding.”
Doctors and most with any shred of common sense, however, are expressing concerns about the obvious risks associated with the chemicals used in gender-reassignment operations, Fox News reports.
Critics argue that the CDC’s guidance not only provides instructions on breastfeeding for biological men but also fails to address the potential risks posed to infants consuming milk produced by chemicals used in gender-reassignment procedures.
In a section titled “Health Equity Considerations” under the “Infant and Young Child Feeding Toolkit,” the CDC states that “transgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed).”
The guidance emphasizes the distinction between gender identity and biological sex and acknowledges the unique needs of transgender and non-binary individuals.
The CDC’s “Breastfeeding” section specifically addresses breastfeeding for individuals who have undergone breast surgery and introduces the term “chestfeeding.”
The CDC affirms that some transgender parents who have had breast or top surgery may choose to breastfeed or “chestfeed” their infants.
While the CDC mentions various aspects of supporting chestfeeding, such as maximizing milk production, supplementing with donor milk or formula, and finding appropriate support, critics argue that the CDC fails to address the potential health risks associated with infants consuming breast milk from biological men who are transitioning using female-mimicking hormones.
One drug commonly used in this context, domperidone, has been known to pass into breast milk in small amounts, potentially causing irregular heartbeat in infants.
Doctors have raised red flags about the CDC’s omission of these clear health risks and argue that the CDC has a responsibility to inform the public about potential dangers.
Dr. Jane Orient, Executive Director of the conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, stated that the CDC has been negligent in discussing the health risks associated with these practices.
Concerns are also raised about the long-term effects of off-label hormone use by trans parents on their children’s health.
