Breastfeeding Trends And The Impact Of Community Health

Breastfeeding Trends And The Impact Of Community Health

Christine Altman
Breastfeeding Trends and the Impact of Community Health
August 16, 2009

Abstract
This paper examines the practice of breastfeeding historically, socially, psychologically, and environmentally from the perspective of behavioral science. Public health organizations have placed emphasis on increasing the incidence of this practice in the US and on a global scale. In order to effectively implement programs to increase the incidence of breastfeeding all dimensions influencing this practice must be explored in detail. There are modifications that can be made to current programs that have been proved to increase the effectiveness. Through increasing positive attitudes, enhancing the birthing environment and reevaluating recommendations regarding bed sharing breastfeeding incidence can be increased. Public health organizations must continue to strive to increase this practice for the good of public health on the national and global levels.

Introduction
The practice of infant feeding has been explored by many generations, and the views of such habits have changed with the progression of time. The use of wet nurses was prominent in the British colonization of North America as well as in England during this time period. At this time colostrum, the pre-milk substance now known to contain numerous beneficial biological compounds, (Koenig, 2006) was thought to be a toxic substance that would cause serious illness in the infant and increase the chance of morbidity. At this time breast milk was believed to transmit any and all illness and disease, as well as, temperament. (Treckel, 1989)
Many of these beliefs resulted in the inability of the mothers to ever breastfeed their own children since the delay in exposure to the suckling caused the mother’s breasts to become dry or abscessed. As a result, infants suffered from childhood disease and mothers were ailed by infection. It was not until the early 1700’s that colostrum was declared to have positive...