Careful, Jay, with the facts and figures you present to the show or the station, whichever you are writing to.  And be sure you do cite facts and figures and give your references.
  
There are those among us who would like to blame epidurals for everything that fails in the time surrounding the birth process.   But even the experts have not yet come to an agreement on this one.  The numbers are still out, as we learn more and more.    

Understand, I am  neither adamently epidural-pro or -con.  I think epidurals are like nipple shields, in a way.  Not to be used cavalierly and to be monitored with good follow-up on the results(for future understanding).  Used judiciously, they are a useful tool.  One has to weigh all of the things going on in the labor before making the decision to use it.

After 20 years + of being with new moms learning to breastfeed, in a hospital with a medium birth rate (200 - 300 (in the old days) a month), and an epidural rate of about 33%, my tendency is to not blame lack of success at breastfeeding, or sucking problems, solely on epidurals.   We have to account for several other things before we say, "aha, the epidural was the culprit."  (Is this sacrificing epidurals on the altar...)
 
We need also to look at what med is in the epidural, how long the epidural was in place, what other meds mom was given.  

We need to look at what else was going on -- did mom or infant get infected, how long did mom push,  what kind of traumas did baby suffer during the birth process (precipitous delivery, assisted delivery - either vacuum or forceps - or C/S), was there a tight nuchal cord ? 

We have to look at how much intervention was necessary after birth, whether the baby needed strenuous suctioning, or intubation, and how long  the baby was separated from mom before getting to breast.   

 Finally, I think we have to look at what the baby was doing before he was born -- what was his general position in utero, and what and how he was sucking inside.  

        FACE PRESENTATION:   I think, but don't know this from any reading on the subject, that a face presentation lie for any length of time, even if not accompanied by a face presentation at birth, might cause sucking problems.  I have seen several such babies who maintained a hyperextension of their necks, for some while after birth. I think I might have a hard time organizing myself to eat (and I already know how), if I wasn't able to move my head and neck freely.
  
        BREECH:   I have seen one baby who was frank breech for most of his pregnancy ( but verted and delivered vaginally), whose heel was rammed up against his jaw for a long period of time.  At birth he looked like he had a malformation of his jaw, and we were ready to call geneticists, etc., until an "old" pediatrician saw the baby, unwrapped him and watched his hips instantly flex into his prenatal position..  It was a positional situation, which took six weeks to resolve -- both for the jaw to reshape itself with the help of gravity, and sucking on lots of things besides, and as well as, mom's breast, and for good latching to be established. 

        SUCKLER OR SUCKER -- There's a great deal of habit-forming going on before the infant is even born, which can lead to interference of an immediate, successful breastfeeding.  Was he SUCKLING on a little finger while in the oven, or on his whole fist, it will affect how wide he's willing to open his mouth.  Or was he just SUCKING against his wrist or his fist or his heel, therefore not training himself to get his tongue under the areola, but to push against it instead. 

Sincerely,  Chanita