Lactation failure is mentioned in the earliest medical encyclopedia, The Papyrus Ebers, which came from Egypt (1550 BC) and contains a small pediatric section that includes a prescription for lactation failure, as follows: Breastfeeding was not always possible, however, due to lactation failure of the mother ( Wickes, 1953a) or to the mother dying from childbirth ( Fildes, 1986). In Israel, as early as 2000 BC, children were deemed a blessing, and breastfeeding was considered a religious obligation ( Wickes, 1953a). With a feasible alternative feeding method available, wet nursing as a profession quickly declined to extinction.
Despite objections during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, wet nursing continued until the feeding bottle was introduced in the 19th century. It became a well organized profession with contracts and laws designed to regulate its practice. Throughout this time period, wet nursing evolved from an alternative of need (2000 BC) to an alternative of choice (950 BC to 1800 AD). Wet nursing began as early as 2000 BC and extended until the 20th century.
2111), was a common practice before the introduction of the feeding bottle and formula. Use of a wet nurse, “a woman who breastfeeds another's child” ( Davis, 1993, p.
