A glance at 11 parenting books on the shelves at a local bookstore -- all that were available at the time -- including that of popular pediatrician/authors Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and Dr. Penelope Leach, turned up every one advocating breastfeeding on demand for this reason. None suggested a feeding schedule for breastfed babies.

And Powers said the comforting aspects of the skin-to-skin contact should not be put on a time clock. "You are not only feeding the baby's stomach, you are feeding their souls."

The Ezzos say demand-feeding mothers often hold their babies too much.

Gary Ezzo also points out that there are cases of babies who were demand fed not gaining weight properly because mothers did not recognize the signs of dehydration.

Some of those cases ended tragically, he said. "If these children had been on our program, the parents would have recognized the warning signs within 24 hours and acted on them within 48 hours" Ezzo wrote in response to the Herald.

But professionals who deal with breastfeeding mothers for a living are concerned about the Ezzos' book.