Racial inequalities in breastfeeding have been a U.S. national concern, prompting health science research and public discourse. Social science research reveals structural causes, including racism in labor conditions, maternity care practices, and lactation support. Yet research shows that popular and health science discourses disproportionately focus on individual and community factors, blaming Black women and communities for unequal breastfeeding rates. This study examines how scientific reports are communicated to the public through a critical analysis of 104 U.S. news articles reporting research on racial disparities in breastfeeding. Findings show that articles acknowledge unequal treatment within maternity care but justify it by presenting Black patients as overburdening the maternity care systems they use due to low socioeconomic status, welfare dependency, poor family support, and poor health. Through these representations, articles co-construct racialized motherhood and maternity care systems in ways that hide manifestations of obstetric racism and combat social support for systemic change.

中文翻译：

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在母乳喂养的新闻报道中种族化母亲和产妇护理


母乳喂养方面的种族不平等一直是美国全国关注的问题，推动了健康科学研究和公众讨论。社会科学研究揭示了结构性原因，包括劳动条件、产妇护理实践和哺乳支持方面的种族主义。然而研究表明，大众科学和健康科学的讨论过分关注个人和社区因素，将不平等的母乳喂养率归咎于黑人妇女和社区。本研究通过对 104 篇报道母乳喂养种族差异研究的美国新闻文章进行批判性分析，探讨如何向公众传达科学报告。调查结果显示，文章承认产妇护理中存在不平等待遇，但通过将黑人患者描述为由于社会经济地位低、福利依赖、家庭支持不佳和健康状况不佳而使他们使用的产妇护理系统负担过重，从而证明了这一点。通过这些表述，文章共同构建了种族化的母性和产妇护理系统，隐藏了产科种族主义的表现，并打击了对系统性变革的社会支持。