LLLI Center for Breastfeeding Information

Journal Abstract of the Month for May 2003

"Contemporary trends in infant feeding research." By Penny Van Esterik. Annu Rev Anthropology 2001;31:257-78

This paper was also selected by UNICEF as "Breastfeeding Paper of the Month" February 2003.

Coming from an anthropological point of view, the author taps into many different subjects including the support of exclusive breastfeeding, the history of infant feeding, the cultural thoughts on the relationship between breastfeeding, sexuality and lactational amenorrhea, the psychological background of women leading them to choose to breastfeed or not, breastfeeding and working, and other topics. This paper will be of particular importance for breastfeeding advocates and policy makers, as it comes with an international perspective.

Of particular interest was the exposure of human milk as mysterious, as a vulnerable product which can reflect badly on the mother implying "a devaluation of the mothers producing it." The ideology of these myths come from cultures, health professionals and men.

The categories that this will be listed in follow: Trends, History of Infant Feeding, Cultural Attitudes, Sexuality, Definitions, Wet Nursing, Human Milk/Colostrum, Psychology/Mother, Exclusive Breastfeeding, Supplements, Virus/HIV-AIDS, Working