The decision to breastfeed is one that is very intimate and personal. While the practice has both physical and psychological benefits for both mothers and babies[1], there are factors that can stand in the way of a mother's ability to breastfeed exclusively.
Breastfeeding is the best source of food for infants, as the milk mothers produce contains nutrients and antibodies that help babies grow up healthy and strong. It's also the more economical choice, as the cost of formula feeding and bottles can be prohibitive to many low-income families. However, those same families are faced with the reality of jobs that may not offer paid leave for new mothers, or breaks when it's necessary to pump.
These practical differences, which are heavily influenced by socioeconomic factors, are referred to as breastfeeding inequality. As these statistics show, a lack of resources, education, and support can fundamentally disable a mother from being able to exclusively breastfeed her little one.
Here in the United States, the starkly varied breastfeeding rates between wealthy and disadvantaged areas is hard to ignore. With 93% of moms in California breastfeeding their babies compared to 57% in Louisiana, it's clear that the correlation between poverty and breastfeeding inequality is no coincidence.
It's a cause that's important to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, an organization that acts in support and protection of nursing. Their World Breastfeeding Week campaign, which ties into the United Nations' goals for achieving sustainability, is focused on the promotion of breastfeeding as a contributor to sustainable eating practices.
Key to the UN's sustainability plan is the elimination of socioeconomic disparities, including those that may keep mothers from breastfeeding. Factors like poverty, hunger, poor health, gender inequality, and a lack of quality schools and employment are all relative to the issue of breastfeeding inequality.
It's also crucial that the conversation around the choice to breast or bottle feed shifts tone from one of shame to one in support of the right to breastfeed. Rather than point fingers, the most productive act is one that shares awareness of this important issue and works toward a world where all mothers have the opportunity to breastfeed if they choose
Neve Spicer
Founder & Director
WeTheParents.org