Breast feeding debate continues

Food or lewd? Breast-feeding reveals divide. Why we get so worked up about how women feed their babies
By Debbie Cafazzo
MSNBC contributor

Julie Wheelan was confronted by a Rhode Island shopping mall security guard. A restaurant assistant manager in Las Vegas criticized Emilee Holt. And a lifeguard at a public pool in Washington state ordered Laurie Waldherr away from the water. Their offense? Breast-feeding in public. It seems that no matter how many protests breast-feeding moms stage in support of their rights, there’s always another confrontation right around the corner.

Even though health authorities have said for decades that breast is best for baby, American attitudes about nursing are still heatedly divided....The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breast-fed (with no added water, juice or other foods) for the first six months of life. It supports breast-feeding for the first year and beyond as long as mother and child are willing. But in 2005, only 21 states achieved the national Healthy People goal for 75 percent of mothers to begin breast-feeding at birth, according to CDC data. See complete article: Mother of a debate