Abstract:
Breastfeeding is a key issue found in ancient sources that resonates with public debates today, affecting women in different parts of the world and of all social classes. The aim of this research was to identify breastfeeding narratives in ancient medical and philosophical texts from the 1st to the 6th century CE that address ethical issues in the medical management and social perception of new mothers. We examined 15 literary sources and one funerary inscription on lactation and critically evaluated the ancient idea of the perfect breastfeeding mother versus the non-breastfeeding mother. We then discussed our historical data in terms of objectivity and significance in relation to contemporary attitudes towards motherhood and lactation, e.g., (1) the cult of the perfect, breastfeeding mother in contemporary lactation education and (2) the onset of conditions which may affect normal breastfeeding, such as dysphoric milk ejection reflex (D-MER), breastfeeding aversion response (BAR) or post-partum depression. The analysis of the results showed that in both ancient and contemporary postnatal health care: (1) good mothering is associated with breastfeeding and (2) alternative feeding methods are acknowledged, but never as the best, natural option. Finally, our analysis shows that public health policies on breastfeeding and mothers\' own knowledge of their bodies are contested between nursing theories, social expectations and economic factors.
摘要:
母乳喂养是古代资料中发现的一个关键问题,引起了今天的公开辩论,影响世界各地和所有社会阶层的妇女。这项研究的目的是在公元1世纪至6世纪的古代医学和哲学文献中确定母乳喂养的叙述,这些叙述解决了新母亲的医疗管理和社会观念中的伦理问题。我们检查了15种文学资料和一种关于哺乳的葬礼铭文,并批判性地评估了完美母乳喂养母亲与非母乳喂养母亲的古老观念。然后,我们从客观性和与当代对母亲和哺乳的态度有关的意义上讨论了我们的历史数据,例如,(1)完美的崇拜,母乳喂养母亲在当代哺乳教育和(2)发病的条件,可能影响正常母乳喂养,如烦躁不安的牛奶喷射反射(D-MER),母乳喂养厌恶反应(BAR)或产后抑郁症。对结果的分析表明,在古代和当代的产后保健:(1)良好的母亲与母乳喂养和(2)替代喂养方法是公认的,但从来不是最好的,自然选择。最后,我们的分析表明,关于母乳喂养和母亲自己的身体知识的公共卫生政策在护理理论之间存在争议,社会期望和经济因素。