>A retrospective review of 800 pregnancies at one family practice revealed
>an association between lack of breastfeeding and physical and sexual abuse
>of the mother and/or her children. This anecdotal association, has not been
>previously reported, is worth further study using more rigorous methods.
>Acheson, L., "Family Violence and Breast-feeding" Arch Fam Med July 1995;
>Vol 4,pp 650-652


This study doesn't address the question of whether breastfeeding mothers
are less likely (or the same or more likely) to abuse their children than
bottle-feeding mothers.  It is about whether being an abused wife impacts
on whether or not you breastfeed.  This study does suggest that it is
difficult to breastfeed if your spouse is abusing you or your children -- a
conclusion none of us would find surprising.

As far as I am aware, there has been no research at all on the specific
question asked about whether breastfeeding affects the mother abusing the
children.  LOGIC, based on what we know about oxytocin and prolactin in
other species, would lead one to strongly suspect that breastfeeding
results in a more affectionate and loving relationship between a mother and
her children, and that a mother with oxytocin and prolactin circulating in
her system (from breastfeeding) would be less likely to become frustrated
and angry with her children's behavior, and so less likely to abuse them.
Oxytocin is also a powerful anti-depressant, so to the extent to which
depression in the mother contributes to abuse of her children, it might
have another protective effect.

If anyone knows of any direct studies of this issue, please post the
references to the list!


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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email:
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Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html