It's done!
Thanks to everyone for all the help!
Here's what I submitted. I am not really satisfied with it, but I was only allowed 2-3 pages (I submitted 4), which just isn't enough to even scratch the surface with this issue. I'll leave this up for the weekend, then remove for my peace of mind and privacy.
Here you go, if you feel like reading:
Breast is Best, Unless You're an AmericanLow Rates of Breastfeeding as an Indication of Social Problems
Mother’s milk is the perfect food. The milk produced by a baby’s mother is perfectly tailored to the needs of that particular infant. It contains antibodies to germs to which the child has been exposed. It is easily digestible by an immature digestive tract. Breast milk-fed children have been found to have notably higher IQs and better academic performances than their formula-fed peers (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1998). Breast milk contributes to better functioning of the child’s immune system and provides added lifelong protection against certain diseases and medical conditions, including but not limited to heart disease, certain cancers and Types I and II diabetes. Research has indicated that a breastfed infant is less likely to grow into an overweight child or an obese adult, which is especially noteworthy when we live in a country where 97 million adults (54.9% of the adult population) are considered either overweight or obese (National Institutes of Health, 1998). Breastfeeding promotes positive emotional bonding between mother and child which is thought to lead to a greater sense of security in adulthood. Nursing one's baby causes the release of the hormones oxytocin and prolactin in the mother, which add to her desire to nurture her baby, and can help prevent or lessen the severity of postpartum depression. Breastfeeding mothers experience long term health benefits, such as a lowered risk of certain cancers and osteoporosis. Breast milk is free and always ready to feed the child, unlike formula, which is not only an added financial expenditure, but also requires time-consuming preparation and cleanup.
With this seemingly endless list of benefits to mother and child, why do so many American women choose to feed their child the clearly substandard nutrition that is formula?
The rate of breastfeeding in the US is much lower than in other high income countries and worldwide. According to La Leche League, 81.98% of women in a random sampling of high income countries initiate breastfeeding but only 70.1% of American women do the same (La Leche League, 2003). Additionally, when American women do choose to breastfeed, the duration of breastfeeding is substantially shorter than in other countries. The worldwide average age of weaning is 4.2 years (National Association for Children, 2005). In the US, only 27% of women are still breastfeeding at 6 months postpartum, and a mere 12.3% are still nursing at the time of their child's first birthday (Pediatrics, 2003).
Why does the US have these markedly lower numbers? Although many explanations have been offered in the past, I believe that this low rate of breastfeeding is an indication of much larger social problems. Although I believe that many social problems contribute to these low percentages, I believe that the main culprit in this situation is the inherent inequality found in our capitalist, post-industrial society.
Inequality is
a lack of equality, as of opportunity, treatment or class (American Heritage Dictionary). Inequality asserts itself in the issue of breastfeeding on a multitude of levels. The sexual inequality of women makes breastfeeding a threatening process to a patriarchal society. After all, a man could not give birth to another living creature and then sustain that life with only his own body, a bit of food, and a source of water, the way a mother can. This unique empowerment enjoyed by the second-class female citizen on some level must disturb hierarchical thinking. Since the elite status of men in a patriarchy might feel threatened by a potential female uprising, it follows suit that the elite class would do what it could to prevent even the beginnings of that revolution. Hence, the creation of “formula,” initially marketed to women as a perfectly equal substitute for breast milk which saves women from the “hardships” of nursing, and also serves to keep the capitalist system in place by offering another “needful” product to consume. Although it is now well known that breast is best, formula companies have devised new ways to keep women from knowing the empowerment of breastfeeding (and buying their product): free formula samples. A newly postpartum mother, upon leaving the hospital, will no doubt find herself the recipient of a complimentary “new baby bag,” which includes a few pamphlets, a baby bottle or two, and a multitude of formula samples. These free samples are insidious; even the most determined mother may sway from her decision to breastfeed at 2 am when she's sleep deprived, bewildered and desperate to ease the discomfort of her crying child. What Mom might forget is that although this quick fix might satiate Junior's immediate hunger and save her from the pain of being unable to immediately calm him, the exposure to the passive ease of drinking from a bottle might deter Junior from ever learning to latch correctly. Thus has the formula company achieved its dual goals: it has sabotaged the nursing relationship, ensuring that the mother and child never experience all the benefits thereof, and it has created another customer who will repeatedly buy their product for at least the next 6 months. This tactic, it should be noted, is the same one notoriously employed by drug dealers in acquiring new customers.
Another aspect of inequality that decreases breastfeeding is racial and ethnic inequality. Despite being the least financially successful socio-economic group, minority women are the most likely to purchase formula rather than opt for free breast milk (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2003). Most American children, unless breastfed themselves, grow up with the notion that bottle feeding is the norm in infant care. Media rarely portrays a child being breastfed, and children are likely to spend time watching television at some point during their childhood, which affects their worldview. I daresay that most women, no matter her race or ethnicity, learn about the benefits of breastfeeding through higher education. Here is where racial inequality steps in: a minority woman (who is statistically more likely to be impoverished, as both a woman and a minority) is less likely to achieve education beyond public high school. The public high school attended was more likely to be in a lower socio-economic area; hence the education afforded in such areas is frequently sub-par. It can be gleaned that a woman who has not attended college has been witness to those media portrayals of bottle feeding, and may not even realize that there is a better option. Women of color are frequently offered lesser medical care, so perhaps her harried and overworked care provider has not taken the time to advise her of all the good she can do her child by breastfeeding. Thus, the minority mother may reflect on what she “learned” about baby care on TV and choose formula. Additionally, a minority mother is less likely to be able to afford to take a long maternity leave that establishes and supports the new breastfeeding relationship, or to have a job where she is allowed time to pump her breast milk for later feedings. Thus, society once again keeps racial inequality in place, oppressing the minority and providing a lower quality of life...for both mother and child. In the long run, the minority child, having been offered perhaps-adequate-but-not-perfect nutrition as an infant, is immediately disadvantaged, compared to his breast fed peers, on an intellectual level and in lifelong physical health, which will most likely result in him remaining oppressed by a system that devalues whole groups of people based on the color of their skin and the numbers on their W-2s.
These are but two examples of how the low rates of breastfeeding in the US are directly related to the social problem of inequality. Babies will continue to be done a disservice if this oppression of certain groups continues. In my mind, there are two possible solutions, one immediate and the other long term. The long term solution is to begin to truly educate people about oppression and inequality. People need to be spoken to on a level they understand and shown facts, statistics and real life examples of inequality at work. Once educated about the inhumanity of inequality, the beginnings of hope for an equal society can begin. The immediate solution, which may be the natural end result of my long term solution, is the destruction of capitalist society, to be replaced by a political framework based on equality, where all people share the resources and the work. Once we are all on equal footing, only then can we begin to dismantle the machine that is oppression. Once higher education is available to all, women will be more likely to breastfeed their babies, and within a generation or two, all of society will be able to enjoy the benefits of the best start in life: better health, greater intelligence, and a sense of emotional security less likely to be shaken to the point of needing to discriminate against another.
to become coherent!
:
It is VERY hard to get precisely the sort of statistics you need, isn't it? I've run into this roadblock in several different research attempts; it's so 
...
You offer much food for thought...
