While working on a literature review for my research on breastfeeding and
work, I came across a recent article which rakes “breastfeeding advocy”
across the coals. (As you read this please be aware that this posting  is
only summarizing my opinion of someone else’s article; don’t shoot the
messenger!  I am interested in hearing others opinions about this article.)
  The article, “The Politics of Breastfeeding:  Assessing Risk, Dividing
Labor”  is  by Jules Law and is published in Signs:  Journal of Women in
Culture and Society 2000, vol. 25, no. 2, 407-450. In the article, the
author says,  “As it turns out, many of the most popularly cited facts and
statistics about infant feeding are not based on medical research at all.”
The strength of this article is it’s well-argued criticism that many of the
claims about the superiority of breastfeeding made by breastfeeding
advocates are poorly supported.  By tearing down the basis of breastfeeding
advocacy claims, the article appears to imply (in a much more academic and
covert manner) that
1. breastfeeding does not significantly differ from formula feeding in terms
of health benefits to the infant,
2.  extended breastfeeding exacts a health toll on the mother which might
outweigh health benefits,
3. breastfeeding for an extended time period excludes paid work; thus
breastfeeding is only an option for women in a traditional nuclear family
with a male who can support the whole family financially
4. breastfeeding represses women by keeping them from paid work
5. breastfeeding is bad for families, especially fathers because it assumes
primacy of the mother-infant dyad
6. breastfeeding is socially unjust because it requires one-on-one childcare
by the mother when quality care for children could be provided collectively
while mothers contributed to society and the family through paid work
7. breastfeeding actually denies infants of valuable immunity experience
they would get in daycare and thus sets them up for more illnesses than
formula fed babies during the preschool period
I could keep going, but I encourage all who are interested to obtain and
read the article for themselves because it represents educated, articulate,
and well researched opposition to the important task of breastfeeding
advocacy.  It also challenges those in the field to do quality research and
presentation of research in order to not leave ourselves open to such
criticism.   For those who work in the field of lactation and are practicing
“in the trenches”,  it illustrates the range of opposition to breastfeeding
and the need for fact-based, well informed advice.

Ruth Witters-Green
Ph.D. Candidate, Clinical-Community Psychology

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