Recently, Amber Wutich and Christopher McCarty published the article “Social networks and infant feeding in Oaxaca, Mexico” in the journal Maternal & Child Nutrition. The article can be found through
www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1740-8709.2007.00122.x
(then, click on ‘Full text HTML’)

There are many health benefits to extending breastfeeding and delaying the introduction of solid foods to an infant in the first 6 months of life. Infants are less vulnerable to infections, receive more nutrition, experience less gastrointestinal problems, and are less likely to develop certain chronic diseases. Numerous studies show that in infant feeding, mothers who have the support of close, personal networks such as the husband, close friends, and relatives (the “strong ties” we discussed in class) are more likely to breastfeed for the medically recommended duration.

One goal of this study was to examine the effect of “weak ties” in the extended personal network of the mother. As we discussed in class, weak ties like acquaintances or distant relatives are significant sources of new information. In class, we mostly showed the positive aspects of “weak ties.” For instance, we discussed how “weak ties” are the most likely source of new job information. In contrast, this study shows one negative aspect of “weak ties.” New information from “weak ties” may be detrimental because the people linked by “weak ties” may pressure a mother to forgo breastfeeding too soon. They may erroneously believe that milk is insufficient for the baby and may pressure the mother to “catch up” with other mothers who have introduced solid foods in the baby’s diet.

The results of this study showed a negative correlation between the duration of breastfeeding and the extent of the network that influences the mother. In other words, mothers who took the advice of a wider network of acquaintances connected by “weak ties” were less compliant with medical advice. This result shows that people linked by “weak ties” to the mother work in contradiction with people linked by “strong ties” to the mother.