CDC offers 'chestfeeding' guidance to trans individuals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is offering guidance to transgender individuals seeking to breastfeed children.

The agency referred to such a practice "chestfeeding" and recommended that "[h]ealthcare providers working with these families should be familiar with medical, emotional, and social aspects of gender transitions to provide optimal family-centered care and meet the nutritional needs of the infant."

Another information page on the CDC website states that "[t]ransgender and nonbinary-gendered individuals may give birth and breastfeed or feed at the chest (chestfeed)."

"The gender identity or expression of transgender individuals is different from their sex at birth. The gender identity of nonbinary-gendered individuals does not fit neatly into either man or woman," it continued. "An individual does not need to have given birth to breastfeed or chestfeed."

The Daily Mail highlighted criticisms of the CDC and pointed to myriad side effects that could stem from the use of drugs to stimulate milk production in transgender individuals who intend to "chestfeed" an infant.

Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Executive Director Dr. Jane Orient expressed concerns to the outlet about the practice, saying "we have no idea what the long-term effects on the child will be" should a trans individual "chestfeed" a child after taking hormones.

"A lot of people are pushing for off-label use of a drug... it's become so politicized that you can do all kinds of things for a politically approved purpose," she continued. "The CDC has a responsibility to talk about the health risks, but they have been derelict in doing that."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.