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 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html