Breast is Best? A Review of the Role of Breastfeeding in the Prevention of Infectious Disease

Abstract

The hypotheses about how breastfeeding protects infants from infectious diseases are reviewed While there is strong evidence in favour of breastfeeding as prevention against infectious diseases, the exact mechanisms and duration of its effects still remain unclear. It is argued that basing the promotion of breastfeeding on so-called scientific facts is a dangerous endeavour, as medical information has been and will continue to be fanned by societal values, market forces and public interest groups. It is concluded that rather than conducting breastfeeding research as if it is value-neutral, it should be considered to be a behaviour which is shaped by its socio-cultural context in which mothers play an active role in decision-making.