How much breastfeeding advocacy is based on junk science?
Posted
October 16, 2007 at
1:02 pm by
Jessica
An analysis by STATS.org, a non-partisan organization based out of George Mason University, is starting to question the campaign towards spinning statistics in order to guilt mothers into breastfeeding.
Why, you ask?…because it is highly political. Breastfeeding represents certain political, social and moral ideals while formula represents corporate America and women succumbing to the pressures of American society with short maternity leaves, an industry that contributes to environmental pollution and the sexualization of a woman’s breasts.
STATS.org offers some perspective in one of breastfeeding advocacy’s statistical weapons, a scare tactic about childhood cancer:
One notable addition to the list of ills which breast-feeding guards against, notes Orent, comes from a 400-page HHS Agency for Health Care Research and Quality study. It concludes that childhood leukemia is reduced by as much as 19 percent for breastfed babies, as compared to non-breastfed babies.
But given that there are approximately 30 leukemia cases in a million children, a 20 percent reduction due to breastfeeding avoids a risk of 1 in 150,000 that your child will develop leukemia; of these, 50 to 80% survive, depending on the type of leukemia. In other words, insisting that all women breast feed (and for more than six months) would save less than one life in 300,000.
While one could easily argue that saving one child’s life in 300,000 is something that our society should strive for, the actual stats are likely not to be statistically significant.
STATS.org goes on to ask us to consider this:
In other words, driving safely is more than twice as risky for death than not nursing and getting leukemia as a result.
And then, if you are genuinely concerned about risk, there are the approximately 203,000 kids who were injured as passengers in 2005. Yet, it’s hard to imagine any newspaper running an op-ed warning mothers to avoid letting their child inside a car, and chastising the government for being in league with the auto industry to suppress the risk.
If certain women wish to shape PUBLIC POLICY based on statistics, shouldn’t it be presented accurately and with fairness? Honestly, the whole idea of government mandating breastfeeding or creating social and political policies or possible tax breaks to women who breastfeed coupled with using propaganda to “punish” corporations leaves me contemptuous towards those who wish to force their agendas on me (or women on a whole). Women deserve better. Women deserve accurate information and they deserve to have a choice in the matter.
In my opinion, the zeal to empower women and lead them into certain social choices is in actuality, setting them back many years. Present the truth and let women decide. Nobody should be influenced by false representations, especially by their own government.
Tags: breast-feeding, breastfeeding, feeding-choices, formula-feeding, infant-feeding-debate, Social Issues |
21 Responses to “How much breastfeeding advocacy is based on junk science?”
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1. Phaedra said:
October 16, 2007 @ 2:29 pm
Amen to this. I’ve often had trouble explaining to my friends that “empowerment” should be about being allowed to make your own choices based on accurate data, not “having it all.” You’ve put it very eloquently.
2. Kristy said:
October 18, 2007 @ 8:25 am
I think if the leukemia stat were the flagship of the argument, this would be more persuasive. The AAP lists several illnesses and syndromes that increase with lack of breastfeeding (in both mothers and babies), some of them significantly. I agree that women need to make their best informed choice about how to feed their babies. But the flip side to this is that some people want to see every argument in favor of breastfeeding as politicized hype designed to make mothers feel bad. I just don’t think that’s true.
3. ibc said:
October 22, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
This post is all over the map. I can’t for the life of me figure out what your position on this is.
“Why, you ask?…because it is highly political. Breastfeeding represents certain political, social and moral ideals while formula represents corporate America and women succumbing to the pressures of American society with short maternity leaves, an industry that contributes to environmental pollution and the sexualization of a woman’s breasts.”
It sounds as though pro-breastfeeding and anti-breastfeeding authors decided to write an article together and alternate paragraphs. (And neither were particularly well-informed…sorry…)
4. Jessica said:
October 22, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
Really? You cannot figure out where I stand on this, becauuuuuse…why? You think that my accusing the breastfeeding zealots of having a political agenda when they pretend it to be all about health is favorable?
Sounds like you’re in denial.
5. AmyS said:
October 25, 2007 @ 1:15 pm
Wow. I am going in a simpler direction here. I agree that no-one should mandate that breastfeeding is the better choice especially to the point that any mother feels guilty about her decision. It has been my observation that those who chose not to breastfeed didn’t do so because they felt any sort of political, social or other pursuasion. They did so because they dind’t think they could breastfeed. “I don’t make milk” “My baby cried and acted like he was hungry”. Those are the things I hear which leads me into this. Moms need education and understanding so they can make an informed decision. I am pro-breastfeeding but not to the point where it becomes a policical discussion. How sad.
6. OAM said:
October 29, 2007 @ 10:15 am
Jessica, I totally think you rock and I loved it when you used to make appearances over on the FC debate board because you are very well informed but this piece misses the mark for me. You’re right, though, arguments for breastfeeding should not be made on overblown stats and women should not be scared into breastfeeding.
For one, like a pp said, leukemia is not the end all be all argument for BFing. Crunch the numbers however you like but at the end of the day, formula is inferior to BM. It is what it is. To what degree is formula inferior? Well, the answers to that are going to vary but formula is inferior and carries health risks.
Now does that translate into some sort of “OMG a child fed formula is going to have allergies and diabetes and die at 30 and OMG only bad mothers feed formula”? Hell to the no.
I don’t think I understand the “forcing of public policy” you are referring to. Perhaps a link would help me out. I am unaware of any government mandate proposed to force women to breastfeed. I certainly have never seen a proposal to take away the choice.
Also, I guess I fail to see breastfeeding or formula feeding as a “social” choice. It’s a public health issue and as a public health issue, the government most certainly has the responsibility to educate and encourage women to breastfeed and encourage employers to support lactating women. I don’t know why all women- whether they breastfeed or formula feed- wouldn’t be for that. It doesn’t have to be an us versus them thing.
Besides, for every breastfeeing zealot out there who wants to comdemn a stranger for bottle feeding their child “poison”, there are 10 more people acting as if their eyes are going to crawl out their nose if they spy a women nursing in public and declaring lactation is like urination and should be done in the bathroom.
Don’t even get me started on what people think of extended breastfeeding.
Bottom line- can’t we all just get along?
7. Jessica said:
October 29, 2007 @ 3:43 pm
Also, I guess I fail to see breastfeeding or formula feeding as a “social” choice. It’s a public health issue and as a public health issue, the government most certainly has the responsibility to educate and encourage women to breastfeed and encourage employers to support lactating women.[/quote]
First of all, I don’t know if the government does have the “responsibility” to “educate” and “encourage” women to breastfeed. Is it really any of their business?? If driving your kids around in a car is more dangerous than formula feeding in the U.S., why then, shouldn’t the government be “educating” and “encouraging” parents NOT to drive anymore or drive in only emergencies, if ever? Would you do that, stop driving forever, starting in 10 minutes? (It’s a rhetorical question.)
Secondly, it really isn’t my employers place to encourage how I choose to feed my baby. If we’re going to go down that road, why not consult my employer as to whether one keeps or terminates a pregnancy? It’s really none of my employer’s business what or how I choose to feed by baby. Sure, they can certainly offer accomodations for those that do CHOOSE to breastfeed their babies, but to influence employees - that is not their place.
Again, I really don’t understand why mothers can’t just worry about how they raise their own children. Many mothers today have a distorted view on their capabilities and a distorted impression of themselves — that they are so much more enlightened and intelligent than their neighbor. I call it the “ME” complex. It’s natural human behavior to believe ones own decisions are always right and that one knows what’s best for everyone. With mothering decisions, however, it’s even worse because everyone is always looking for validation.
8. OAM said:
October 29, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
First of all, I don’t know if the government does have the “responsibility” to “educate” and “encourage” women to breastfeed. Is it really any of their business??
____________
Well sure it’s their business- it’s public health. It makes sense from a health and financial perspective. Just check out any WIC website.
The driving argument is a straw man, really.
Come on, you’re smarter than that. It doesn’t have to be tit for tat. We’re talking about breast versus bottle and for what it’s worth, the government does advocate safe driving practices…. there are laws regarding driving pratcices with infants, children, and adolescents.
___________
Secondly, it really isn’t my employers place to encourage how I choose to feed my baby
___________
Now that is NOT what I said. I said the government should encourage employers to support lactating women:
“and encourage employers to support lactating women”
Emotions aside, breast milk is what is best for all babies. Breastfeeding may not be desired for all women and it may not work out for all women (I have my Master’s in Human Nutrition and Foods and I specialize in pediatrics and it did NOT work out for me) and that’s okay, but it doesn’t change the fact that breastfeeding is a public health issue and our culture should be set up in such a way to support it.
Advocacy is not about taking away a choice or belittling those who choose differently. Advocating breastfeeding does not equal bashing formula feeding.
It’s a oomplex subject, though.
Motherhood is so emotionally driven but honestly, I think we put women down if we water down the argument for breastfeeding. It’s like saying we can’t handle the truth. I can handle it. How about you?
9. Jessica said:
October 30, 2007 @ 12:57 pm
If it were really about the truth, there would be no debate.
In the grand scheme of life, properly prepared formula vs. breastfeeding is going to have very little effect on one’s life, health or happiness.
If women want to make decisions based on probabilities akin to lightening striking them, by all means…be my guest…it makes no difference to me, but your tactics are probably beter reserved for those novices because under the shrewd eye of perspective, I am left duly unimpressed.
10. OAM said:
October 30, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
LOL! My “tactics”????? This is a hoot!
All I ever said was that formula is inferior to breastmilk, breastfeeding should be encouraged and supported, and no one should bash or belittle formula or formula feeding mothers….. which is basically the truth.
Breastfeed…. formula feed… whatever… makes no difference to me… but I have to wonder if you hold marketing by the formula companies in the same contempt as breastfeeding advocacy. Talk about overblown and downright false. Most of the advertisements for formula do not even fall in line with the AAP’s stance on infant feeding. Then there are all the false claims and NOTHING on the label regarding the potential danger to low birth weight and immunocompromised infants with powdered formula. Then there is the whole ban the bottle thing started by the formula companies to make it look as though limiting marketing equaled taking away a choice and even hired “moms” to start up a web site to pit mother against mother.
I’m going to take a line out of your book now:
–Women deserve better. Women deserve accurate information and they deserve to have a choice in the matter.–
I already said I agree stats should not be overblown so poor examples of advocacy aside, I don’t see how breastfeeding advocay in any way, shape, or form takes away a choice or information. I can’t say that for the formula industry.
You know what, it’s your site and your blog so I have no doubt that you’re going to continue writing about your contempt of poor breastfeeding advocacy backed up with a million anecdotes of online breastfeeding zealots and a social structure you have created out of your own emotions that results in a failure to see that yes, there is a gray. There is a happy place where all choices are accepted and breastfeeding is supported and encouraged as a public health issue and not because some crazy hippies online want to push their own value system on others.
11. Jessica said:
October 31, 2007 @ 10:37 am
You know what, it’s your site and your blog so I have no doubt that you’re going to continue writing about your contempt of poor breastfeeding advocacy backed up with a million anecdotes of online breastfeeding zealots and a social structure you have created out of your own emotions that results in a failure to see that yes, there is a gray.[/quote]
Huh. In all these years of participating on and off in the whole “bfing vs. ffing” debate, I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of having an inability to see gray or perspective.
What an odd thing to say.
[quote comment="117724"]There is a happy place where all choices are accepted and breastfeeding is supported and encouraged as a public health issue and not because some crazy hippies online want to push their own value system on others.[/quote]
Well, I don’t believe bfing is a “public health issue”. I don’t think it’s an “issue” at all. I don’t think there’s a crisis of any sorts so this is part of what I would file under useless rhetoric.
12. sheila said:
February 7, 2008 @ 12:01 pm
its funny how someone would go to such great lengths to make herself feel better about about ff. pregnant women are encouraged by our gov. to not smoke, drink, or do drugs, bc it is harmful to their unborn baby, it is about time the risks of ff was acknowleged also, i don’t think there is a political agenda behind it at all, we now have so much evidence on these risks that it is undeniable and should no longer be overlooked, even if it does make some mothers feel guilty to know the truth
13. Sally said:
February 7, 2008 @ 12:49 pm
I once had a boss (lady boss) who snickered and sneered about anyone breast feeding or having breastfed in the past. She was a titless wonder, tiny, frightening, completely unscrupulous and surprisingly ignorant which was hidden under the protection of her having figured out how to protect her job by having others under her do her work, and skewing the annual job reviews of those unfortunate enough to work under her. She was fashionably thin and as ugly as a witch. I am sure that she never had sufficient nutrition to produce milk and I was pretty surprised that she had been able to produce any offspring. What a snob she was. To her breastfeeding would have been the most unnatural thing in the world and probably impossible. I think it is a shame that anyone who breastfeeds their babies can be made to feel inferior in any way or indeed socially unacceptable while breast feeding. What do those people think is the purpose and function of female breasts? Have you ever seen what happens to milk or formula that is not refrigerated in a baby bottle in hot weather? Or maybe they have improved imitation milk or formula since my children were babies to the point that it does not spoil. If the milk bottle falls on the floor, the nipple has to be cleaned or sanitized before baby gets it back. I cannot believe that so many people think bottle feeding is just as good or as safe unless the mother is really not in good health or think that it is a social issue. I realize that many women cannot afford to stay home with their babies when they wish to, but that is no excuse for people to try to make the ones that do breastfeed feel like it is undesirable, and I think all the support and encouragement for breastfeeding that can be given is the thing to do. It was not encouraged by most doctors and nurses or hospitals when my children were born so anyone that breastfed had to look to family or friends for encouragement or information. There were no pamphlets on breastfeeding, or at least I never saw one. Fortunately b/feeding was the choice by most of my relatives.
14. Jessica said:
February 7, 2008 @ 8:37 pm
[quote comment="141892"]its funny how someone would go to such great lengths to make herself feel better about about ff. pregnant women are encouraged by our gov. to not smoke, drink, or do drugs, bc it is harmful to their unborn baby, it is about time the risks of ff was acknowleged also, i don’t think there is a political agenda behind it at all, we now have so much evidence on these risks that it is undeniable and should no longer be overlooked, even if it does make some mothers feel guilty to know the truth[/quote]
Oh, I don’t have one iota of regret or guilt over formula feeding.
No woman should feel guilty about formula feeding. Why should they?
There is absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about formula feeding.
15. Jessica said:
February 7, 2008 @ 8:46 pm
Truth is, there are very few people out there that really care about you or your baby and/or how you feed him/her. I’m quite certain that you care much more about it than millions and millions of people do. I can’t imagine most people have nothing better to do than to obsess about your nursing breasts.
We could take a poll, if you’d like?
16. Helen said:
February 8, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
I think one of the reasons for breast feeding was that the baby would get your immunity from diseases through the breast milk. Its a lot cheaper for people who can’t afford formula too. They tell us it gives protection against breast cancer since we have less exposure to harmful hormones if we breast feed. However if you are forced to do it you will be so mad you will both get sick. Better just do what is right for you. Its your life.
17. Allison said:
February 8, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
[quote comment="142179"] Better just do what is right for you. Its your life.[/quote]
Thanks, Helen. I really think that’s all mothers want: the right to choose to mother they way they feel is right.
18. Sally said:
February 9, 2008 @ 10:59 am
Whew! What fury! I am surprised that you interpreted my post as thinking I took any of the controversy personally. My aim was to post my viewpoint on an issue that I am glad has become controversial rather than being not discussed in public. I really think that you simply responded in the most insulting a fashion you could come up with in which (I said, you said –: [quote comment="142011"][quote comment="141899"]I think it is a shame that anyone who breastfeeds their babies can be made to feel inferior in any way or indeed socially unacceptable while breast feeding.[/quote]
Truth is, there are very few people out there that really care about you or your baby and/or how you feed him/her. I’m quite certain that you care much more about it than millions and millions of people do. I can’t imagine most people have nothing better to do than to obsess about your nursing breasts.
We could take a poll, if you’d like?[/quote]
How odd sounding, very strange sounding.
19. Jessica said:
February 9, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
[quote comment="142399"] in which (I said, you said –: [quote comment="142011"][quote comment="141899"]I think it is a shame that anyone who breastfeeds their babies can be made to feel inferior in any way or indeed socially unacceptable while breast feeding.[/quote]
Truth is, there are very few people out there that really care about you or your baby and/or how you feed him/her. I’m quite certain that you care much more about it than millions and millions of people do. I can’t imagine most people have nothing better to do than to obsess about your nursing breasts.
We could take a poll, if you’d like?[/quote]
How odd sounding, very strange sounding.[/quote]
Thought I was pretty clear, but in light of further clarification, in case it was missed…
I don’t think a breastfeeding mom can be made to feel inferior or socially unacceptable given the current climate, focus and education on breastfeeding.
I don’t buy the martyrdom for one second.
Formula feeding, on the other hand, is the target of a new brand of bigotry.
So, I was disagreeing with you, that “anyone” (in general) can be made to feel inferior by breastfeeding. It’s not gonna fly here.
20. prpledrm76 said:
February 12, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
I think the bottom line is, it’s ur body and ur child so u do what u think is best regardless of who stares at u or says what. I chose not to breastfeed, “chose” being the operative word…it’s an individual’s choice and no one has a right to say anything about it.
21. Allison said:
February 12, 2008 @ 10:17 pm
[quote comment="143427"]I think the bottom line is, it’s ur body and ur child so u do what u think is best regardless of who stares at u or says what. [/quote]
You bring up a very valid point. It is a RIGHT!
People are so willing to be “pro-choice” (you know, killing unborn babies is a woman’s right), but folks are so easily turned off of a woman’s right to formula-feed.
It’s better than abandoning a baby in a dumpster, for crying out loud!