1. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
Benefits of Breastfeeding in Minorities
Breastfeeding is beneficial for both the mother and new born infants, increasing
health benefits such as lowering the risk for obesity, diabetes, asthma and other health
issues.1 Breastfeeding not only benefits the child, but breastfeeding also helps prevent the
mother from both breast and ovarian cancer.1 Breastfeeding has shown to help reduce
healthcare spending cost.
The colostrum from the mother’s breast milk is key to providing the newborn
with the needed nutrients and antibodies to grow and become healthy. Breastfeeding is
related to a lower risk of health conditions in children such as high blood pressure,
leukemia, obesity, type II diabetes, asthma, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
as they begin to develop.2 Formula off the shelves has shown how it can be difficult for
an infant to digest properly, which can lead to an early onset illness. Breastfeeding is not
only a benefit for the infant, but also for the mother and our environment and society.
The impetus of this paper is to discuss the aversion of minorities, particularly
African Americans to breastfeed in minorities. Mothers typically breastfeed when it has
been advocated by doctors. However, many minority mothers tend to have a low rate in
breastfeeding due to the lack of recommendation and education of importance from their
doctors, on breastfeeding. This review will also discuss the importance and benefits of
breastfeeding and why breastfeeding have lower rates in minorities.

2. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
Breastfeeding Background
Breastfeeding in public was once not an issue in colonial society in 1770’s. For
example, traditionally, mothers were typically expected to maintain a household,
including, cleaning the house, cooking, and feeding the baby. In 1770’s breastfeeding
was the primary way to nurture infants. Puritans of the colonial society, believed the
breast of the women were created to feed and nourish infants, and it was highly
encouraged to nurse their own infants.7 Once formula and the bottle and nipple were
introduced, views on breastfeeding instigated a change. Scientist began examining the
mechanisms of a mother’s milk, which then began a search for chemically modified
animal milk that was similar to human milk.8 Mothers began having to fulfill jobs that
men were not able to fill due to being recruited to war during World War II.
Breastfeeding began to become obsolete and breast pumps were used to help store milk
for infants while they were left at home with a caregiver. At this time large
manufacturing of formula, made it easy for mothers to get a hold of.9 Formula
manufactures began building relationships with physicians, which then led to physicians
supporting and promoting formula to be safe and convenient to use. These irresistible
factors contributed to the high decline of breastfeeding in the 1970’s. Mothers have
stopped breastfeeding in both their homes and out in public. Bottles and breast pumps
have increased and have become the normal way in today’s society to feed infants.
Consequently, in today’s society mothers are seen as appalling for breastfeeding in
public. Breastfeeding makes our society uncomfortable and is seen as “unnatural”.

3. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
Minorities And Breastfeeding
Although breastfeeding benefits, it is unclear why minorities in the US, tend to
have the lowest rates of breastfeeding. Many factors, such as the availability of free
formula from the Special Supplementational Nutrition Program for Women Infants and
Children (WIC) 3, provided great level of comfort and conveniency with formula feeding,
lack of education on the importance of breastfeeding, partners preference of feeding, and
the lack of support from other minority women, play a role in the decision of minority
mothers to not breastfeed.4, 5 WIC conducted a study from their clientele to get
information on what they measured as factors that contributed to the decision to not
breastfeed. The clientele of WIC consist of 64% Hispanic, 20% Caucasian, 15% African
American, and 5% Asian women.6 These group of women believed that factors of infant
feeding decisions consisted of, time management, issues of health, knowledge and
familiarity, and convenience and cost. 6 The concern for time management was over
bonding, care, and weaning of the infant if the mother needed to return to work or had
high family necessities. Many believed that having the familiarity and knowledge of
breastfeeding would lead to attempting to breastfeed and possibly continue the
breastfeeding process. However, the lack of knowledge and familiarity of proper
breastfeeding, such as feeding positions, the benefits of breastfeeding and postpartum
lactation support, plays a key role in the choosing of infant feeding.6 , 5
Numerous African American women tried breastfeeding but quickly switched to
formula, do to the convenience of using formula.3 50% of WIC study clientele, attempted
breastfeeding and formula feeding, 53% of the 50% breastfed for a short period of time,
resulting in a few days or weeks.6 The convenience of being able to simply add water to

4. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
the formula for feeding, when demands of a family are high or while out in public
compared to having to possibly expose women’s body parts, was a major convenience to
many women. African Americans seemed to lack role models in their life that have
experience and knowledge of breastfeeding.6 In WIC’s survey, 38% expressed African
Americans did not have family members who had experience in breastfeeding.6,13 Many
African American women expressed that the physical discomfort of breastfeeding and
pain was a major reason why they decided to not breastfeed.6,13 50% of WIC’s clientele
agreed that breastfeeding was painful.6 WIC asked women how they could possibly better
educate mothers on breastfeeding, and 42% recommended, more education on pain
related issues.6 Not only was physical discomfort an issue for African Americans, but
also the need to work, cultural norms, family, and individual preferences.
African Americans also suggested that breastfeeding in public was an issue that
impacted their feeding choices. Majority African American women felt that breastfeeding
was only performed by other racial and ethnic groups, such as Caucasians and Hispanics,
but not African Americans.6, 10 For African Americans, family are usually the main
caregivers for childcare arrangements. Having to rely on family members for childcare
increased the use of formula feeding, resulting in convenience. Formula was a suggestion
for mothers that had to rely on family members because there was a concern that family
members would not have enough pumped breast milk to feed the infant and it ultimately
would be more convenient and easy to use formula.6 Other minorities complained that
experiences in the hospital by staff showing insensitivity, lack of patience and gentleness
with first time mothers, lack of time given to get over their breastfeeding challenges, and

5. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
the lack of privacy in hospital during breastfeeding time, led to mothers experiencing
physical discomfort and therefore led to their decision to not breastfeed.6
Benefits
According to WIC findings, health benefits for an infant were mainly universally
known and helped influence some mothers to attempt breastfeeding.6 However, not all
mothers considered nutrition and health issues to be primary factors for their infant when
it came to their infant feeding decisions. Many did attempt to breastfeed due to
information on the benefits of breastfeeding provided by WIC but not many continued.6
Factors that led to mother’s not continuing to breastfeed were discomfort of the feeding,
social pressures, unfamiliarity, and many negative experiences.12, 13 These factors resulted
in women immediately switching to formula feeding. Practicing Breastfeeding is
involved in preventing common major health problems in infants such as, Sudden Infant
Death Syndrome (SIDS) and obesity. There is a 36% reduced risk of SIDS in infants that
are breastfed.11 Data shows that the lives of 900 infants a year, can be prevented if for 6
months, 90% of mothers breastfed.16 The Infant mortality in the US of 21% of infants
that were not breastfed, has ascribed in the constant increase of SIDS in infants.12 The
independence of the infants sleep position, is the positive effect of breastfeeding in
SIDS.14, 15
National campaigns that work to prevent obesity, start with the support to
breastfeed.13 15% to 30% adolescents are likely to not experience obesity if they were
breastfed as an infant.13 A study conducted of sibling difference, recorded the sibling that
was breastfed weighed 14lbs less than the sibling that was not breastfed, leading to the
possibility of being less likely to become obese.17 There is a 4% reduce risk of obesity

6. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
each month of breastfeeding, if breastfeeding is practiced for a prolonged duration of
time.12
Numerous research and data have emphasized the importance of breastfeeding
and how the use of formula milk can present unhealthy concerns in infants and their
mothers, and in return, enhance health issues in infants, children and the future of their
health as an adult. The risks of not breastfeeding have been constantly published from
researches showing the evidence of the high health risk possibilities that can occur.
Breastfeeding should no longer be considered a choice for mothers, it should be reflected
as a health concern for their children. Inevitably, physicians should strongly and
convincingly support and promote the importance of breastfeeding unquestionably to
minorities, specifically African Americans, as it is necessary to better the health of our
future.

7. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
References
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8. Roni Withers
Texas Wesleyan
University College Day
Spring 15’
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milk.Pediatrics, 129. 2007
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