Jillian Johnson gave birth to a healthy baby boy. 19 days later, she lost him because she didn’t feed him. In an essay that she wrote for a non-profit organization Fed Is Best, Johnson said, “If I had given him just one bottle, he would still be alive.”
According to co-founders Jody Segrave-Daly RN and Dr. Christine Del Castillo-Hegyi, Fed Is Best focuses on promoting safe breastfeeding by supporting the supplementation of formula when it’s “medically necessary.” The frequency of babies being accidentally starved by their own mothers continue to persist.
In Johnson and her son Landon’s case, Landon wasn’t given enough colostrum, which is a mother’s early milk, during the first few days of his life. This deprivation eventually led to his death a few weeks after he was born.
Johnson had no idea about the dangerous consequences of exclusively breastfeeding a baby. She thought that the constant persuasion of those around her that she should solely breastfeed her kid took a toll on her.
Johnson told People, “I just want people to educate themselves so they don’t make the same mistake as I did. I couldn’t sit by any more and have another mom feel what I feel every day. I don’t want any parent to have this hole in their heart. Nothing can fill it.”
According to Segrave-Daly, new moms are heavily encouraged to give their offspring breast milk while they’re still in the hospital. However, there are some cases in which their bodies cannot provide ample hydration and calories to their newborns.
Segrave-Daly told People, “I am a NICU nurse who knows how to save babies’ lives, and I was never prepared to witness so much needless suffering from accidental starvation when I started my private lactation and infant-feeding practice 7 years ago.”
She continued, “We have a modern-day tragedy happening right before our eyes and it is morally and ethically wrong.”
Dr. del Castillo-Hegyi is an emergency physician and former NIH scientist. She also accidentally starved her baby which resulted to being neurologically disabled.
According to their website, Fed Is Best “believes mothers should be supported in choosing clinically safe feeding options for their babies.” In a response to critics saying that they’re anti-breastfeeding, Segrave-Daly clarified that this is not the case.
She said that Fed Is Best “aims to educate new moms on how to feed their babies safely, whether that means breastfeeding, formula feeding, or a combination of the two,” according to People.
Segrave-Daly added, “Babies can suffer days of non-stop crying and hunger while nursing day and night without sleep, as they are receiving a fraction of the calories and fluid they need to live.”
Trish MacEnroe, executive director of Baby Friendly USA, said, “Breastfeeding is safe and iti is the way our bodies were designed to feed human infants. Human mothers produce milk that is best for their infants. Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed a baby. But it doesn’t always come naturally to all mothers.”
Baby Friendly USA advocates for breastfeeding with commitment. Although, she said that it’s not a problem if a mom wants to use supplement.
MacEnroe added, “There is room for supplementation and there is room for a mother not to choose breastfeeding. But like any health care recommendation, we always want mothers to know what the scientific evidence is, and if there are any side effects or consequences of a different choice.”
Landon immediately suffered from cardiac arrest after he had dehydration 12 hours after he left the hospital. Johnson wrote, “And the best advice I was given by one of his NICU doctors while he was on life support is, sure, breast is best, but follow with the bottle. This way you know your baby has eaten enough… if only I could go back in time.”
Landon was removed from life support fifteen days later. Johnson told People, “I had no idea he wasn’t taking in enough milk. If I did, he would be alive. I wouldn’t have hesitated to give him a bottle.”
Dr. del Castillo-Hegyi declared that the causes of Landon’s death were hypernatremic dehydration followed by cardiac arrest causing hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (diffuse brain injury), based on his autopsy.
Johnson said, “People should know what can happen and know the signs. My husband said he thought about giving a bottle many times, but we didn’t want to ‘ruin’ Landon. We were so brainwashed.”
