Somos todos mamíferos? Uma análise do discurso médico sobre o aleitamento materno.

Abstract

This study was designed to make an assement of the medical discourse approach on breastfeeding during the 1980 s, after implementation of the PNIAM National Program to Incentive Breastfeeding in 1981. Articles published in the Journal of Pediatrics were reviewed in order to gain insight on the discourse changes and public policy changes concerning the subject. The larger number of studies on breastfeeding available nowadays are imputed to the value placed on breastfeeding by society. Nevertheless, breastfeeding has not always been valued as it is today. Throughout the times, the medical discourse has reflected the at that point current context, serving political, social and economic interests. The general notion of breastfeeding has changed, seen as part of a process, of a construct. The inspection of the journal s articles gas revealed the prevalence of the hygienist logics, supported by a biology-based discourse, which made natural and disseminated the notion of breastfeeding practices as superior when compared to other infant nutrition practices. The study concluded tha in order to convince health care workers, institutions and mothers, approaches to breastfeeding today reflect especially the social implications of the presence of women in the job market.