Global, Urban, and Environmental Studies (GLUE)

Agency and Power in Global Health: The influence of the public and private sector on a mother’s decision to breastfeed – Martin Cochran

Abstract

The decision that a mother makes about what to feed her child should be their own. In theory this decision can be made independent of all factors and all agents of power that influence how a mother cares for their child. However, health care decisions are not made independently because each of us is influenced by multiple interconnecting factors, some that we are not even aware of. For example, a mother may have access to infant formula and because of targeted information on a label, rather than making the decision to feed her child breast milk, the decision becomes convoluted. Influences that are not centered on the best health outcomes for a child, when it specifically comes to breastfeeding, will create a false dichotomy between the breast and the bottle. Ideally information should be available that would help a mother evaluate the best choice for her child since there is not one best solution for all children. Through an examination of the debate of breastfeeding, which questions whether a mother should use infant formula or breastmilk they produce, powers and forms of agency are evident, making it impossible to call this an independent decision. The debate on Breastfeeding can act as a case study for most topics that address global health issues and policies. An inclusive policy that results in the best health outcomes for the majority should not be influenced by power and profit. Currently there are multiple actors including multinational corporations, consumer groups, and international organizations that influence a mother’s decision on what to feed their child. Ideally any policy should attempt to equitably include mothers with an understanding of individuality and the intersectionality of factors that challenge any health decision, and any decision that is made within the bounds of a global health policy.