Abstract
Despite infant weaning being one of the most challenging aspects of parenting, there is uncertainty about the right time to start. This research aimed to understand the impact of newspaper reporting of weaning on parents, in particular, focussing on the coverage of a scientific report published in the British Medical Journal in 2011. Using a media analysis of weaning articles from UK national newspapers and the ‘Mumsnet’, Internet discussion forum, the analysis was able to explore how forum members had reacted to the reporting and embellished the communication of the weaning issue by adding their own personal advice and experience. The case study shows the role of discussion forums in science communication and how they can provide a new arena for studying audience effects.
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundInfant nutrition is arguably one of the most worrying aspects of parenting
What this research shows is that the science of weaning is poorly communicated at times by the press, in the context of this case study, forum users are using this information to generate online discussions, which embellish the initial reporting and enrich the scientific discussion
Through these online discussions caregivers are becoming potentially more informed about the issues involved, with the forum effectively operating as a ‘boundary’ between science and journalistic representations, and public perspectives (Shanahan, 2011)
Summary
Introduction and BackgroundInfant nutrition is arguably one of the most worrying aspects of parenting. The transition time when parents stop exclusively feeding their infants on milk and move to introducing ‘solid’ foods, “...continues to cause more anxiety to mothers, nurses and doctors than almost any other issue in paediatric nutrition” (Davies and O’Hare, 2004, p.84). Before the age of four months, is associated with increased morbidity (Wright et al, 2004) and the cessation of lactation (Dewey, 2001). Delaying the introduction of solids beyond the age of six months has been associated with increased risk of malnutrition (WHO, 2002a) and feeding problems (Northstone et al, 2001). Research has found weaning to be one of the aspects of parenting, which mothers, and first-time parents in particular, find most challenging (Mikkelsen et al, 2007)
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