The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has recently announced new guidelines on language related to breastfeeding and gender, saying it will now use the term “human milk feeding,” among other things.
The story: ABM announced the changes last week, explaining that it’s doing away with terms such as “mother,” “breast,” “breast milk,” and “breastfeeding” in certain cases.
Instead of “breastfeeding,” the ABM now recommends the term “human mil feeding, “mammary gland” for “breast” and “lactating person” for mother.” It’s further dropping the word “mankind” for “humankind” as part of its commitment to using “desexed or gender-inclusive language.”
There’s also an option to opt for the term ‘‘expressed milk” and ‘‘father’s milk” instead of “breast milk.”
Worth noting: The ABM noted that “sex specific languages” might be “preferable” in some situations and says that it will allow the individuals in question to choose the type of language they want to be used when referring to them.
What they’re saying: “ABM recognizes that not all people who give birth and lactate identify as female, and that some individuals identify as neither female nor male,” the organization said in a statement. “The ABM is dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding and lactation for all persons worldwide.”
“Sociocultural and legal landscapes as well as language variability and translatability of gendered terms related to
parenting and breastfeeding may limit our ability to use gender-inclusive language to provide clear recommendations around the world. This does not negate our recognition of and support for the diversity and complexities in the human experience of infant feeding and bonding,” ABM concluded.
“Language has power. The language that we use should be as inclusive as possible when discussing infant feeding,” said Laura Kair, a medical director of well newborn care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, served on the ABM taskforce. “When working with patients it is best to ask them their affirmed terminology. When communicating medical research, language should accurately reflect the population studied so as not to mask research needs.”
Worth noting: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky drew a backlash this week for recommending that “pregnant people” take the COVID-19 vaccine.
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