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Volume 101, Issue 2 (February 2011)
Lindsey Murtagh and Anthony D. Moulton Working Mothers, Breastfeeding, and the Law. American Journal of Public Health: February 2011, Vol. 101, No. 2, pp. 217-223.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.185280

Accepted on: May 22, 2010

Working Mothers, Breastfeeding, and the Law

Lindsey Murtagh, JD, MPH, and Anthony D. Moulton, PhD
Correspondence should be sent to Lynn Blewett, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (e-mail: ). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints/Eprints” link.

Peer Reviewed

Contributors

Both authors conceptualized the study, interpreted the results, and wrote the article. L. Murtagh conducted the research and performed the data analysis.



ABSTRACT

Workplace barriers contribute to low rates of breastfeeding. Research shows that supportive state laws correlate with higher rates, yet by 2009, only 23 states had adopted any laws to encourage breastfeeding in the workplace.

Federal law provided virtually no protection to working mothers until the 2010 enactment of the “reasonable break time” provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This provision nonetheless leaves many working mothers uncovered, requires break time only to pump for (not feed) children younger than 1 year, and exempts small employers that demonstrate hardship.

Public health professionals should explore ways to improve legal support for all working mothers wishing to breastfeed. Researchers should identify the laws that are most effective and assist policymakers in translating them into policy.

Cited by

Kathleen M.  Rasmussen, Sheela R.  Geraghty. (2011) The Quiet Revolution: Breastfeeding Transformed With the Use of Breast Pumps. American Journal of Public Health 101:8, 1356-1359
Online publication date: 1-Aug-2011.
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (625 KB) | PDF Plus (557 KB)