Eliminating "risk"

Recently the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a study showing that fewer black women ever breastfeed than Latinas and white women.  The reason given is that black woman are more comfortable with the idea of feeding their babies formula than the other two groups.

According to the study, in 2006 60 percent of African American mothers breastfed at least once compared to 82 percent of Latinas and 76 percent of white mothers.

The study's author from the department of neonatology and Pulmonary biology at Cininnati Children's Hospital Medical Center said in a news release that the findings "tell us that public health campaigns to promote breastfeeding must also include messages regarding the risk of formula feeding."  

I take issue with this on several fronts. By implication, her words send a message that formula causes problems. 

There aren't "risks" to formula feeding.  Formula is the safest alternative to breastfeeding.  Nothing has been more highly scrutinized by the FDA than infant formula.   For every study that says breastfeeding prevents this, that and the other, there are studies showing that formula feeding doesn't create the potential for this, that and the other.

"Risk" is a dangerous word.  It puts fear in the minds of vulnerable moms who have chosen not to, or can't, breastfeed.

That said, yes, we need to increase breastfeeding rates.  And we need to do so in particularly vulnerable populations, such as African Americans who aren't doing it as much as we'd like. 

But if we really want to increase breastfeeding rates among blacks we have to take a multi-pronged approach.  For instance, we need to:

• create more awareness during pregnancy of the benefits of breastfeeding
• provide support for the many moms who have to return to work within 12 weeks because they need the money.  We need to give them support at work to make it easier for them to pump
• we need to give businesses tax incentives to provide clean, private pumping areas for their employees, with consequences if they don't
• the federal government should get with the picture and do as countries in Europe and other places do, which is to mandate PAID maternity leave.
• The federal government needs to extend the time for maternity leaves

If we're really serious abut increasing breastfeeding rates, let's go to the root of the problem and really help all women be aware of the benefits of feeding their babies liquid gold, and then give them the support they need to do so.

Scaring people with words like "risk" won't work.