Child breastfeeding photo sparks debate

The image has been shared thousands of times.
The image has been shared thousands of times.  Photo: Facebook

It was meant to be a cute example of a toddler imitating his breastfeeding mum.

But a photo of a little boy trying to breastfeed his baby sibling, along with the words "Don't worry mom, I got you covered", has sparked debate between parents.

The picture was shared on the Breastfeeding Mama Talk Facebook page, which is run by US mum Kristy Kemp.

Some of the group's followers say the photo is an adorable example of a child who understands the importance of breastfeeding babies. However others are not as impressed, labelling the photo inappropriate, sick and even pornographic. 

​"This picture and idea is sicko. Playing with a doll yes, but what he is doing is nothing but sick," Jeanetta Lee wrote on the Facebook post.

Another follower, Juliet Nicole, called the photo "disgusting".

"If it were the mother, that's different. I see no problem. But to allow a sibling, that is just sick. I see no humour in this at all," she wrote.

One critic labelled the picture as "pornographic".

Others were worried the photo looked dangerous and there was a risk of the baby being suffocated by the boy.

Your kid might be breastfed when...

Posted by Breastfeeding Mama Talk on  Thursday, 7 January 2016

Despite the criticism from some the photo has attracted more than 20,000 likes and has been shared more than 15,000 times since it was posted on January 8. 

The majority of the BFMT followers approved of the photo and many posted photos of their own children trying to breastfeed dolls or express milk. 

Ms Kemp responded to criticism of the photo of in an interview with Daily Mail. 

"No one bats an eye when a kid pretends to bottle feed, but when they see a kid imitating breastfeeding they view negatively? How does that make sense?" she said.

"Bottle feeding and breastfeeding share the same exact concept. Wouldn't it be strange for people to say 'pornography' over a kid playing make believe with a bottle? So why the double standards? That is what I aim to fix.

"For anyone to associate anything sexual or pornographic with kids and breastfeeding they would have to be pretty disturbed. We should be worried about the people who are viewing children in a sexual manner, not the parents who allow their kids to play make believe like healthy normal kids do.

"I share the breastfeeding photos, such as the meme with the little boy pretending to breastfeed his baby brother, to normalise breastfeeding and start discussions. It's a great way to educate and bring awareness.

"For anyone to twist a photo like that and associate it with porn, that's what should be offensive to society."