ebooks logo journals logo reference works logo abstract databases logo
bullet  SIGN IN Register | Why Register? | Got a Voucher? alerts   marked lists   shopping cart 

informaworld

HOME   |   SEARCH   |   BROWSE
    Numbers List       Latest Number       Forthcoming Articles       Volume 11 Number 1       Subscribe       Article       References       Cited By       Related articles      
<< firstfirst   < prevprev   Table of contentstoc   next >next   last >>last
Publisher Logo Publication Cover
Search within this journal

MOTHERS' MILK AND MEASURES OF ECONOMIC OUTPUT 

Authors: Julie P. Smith ab; Lindy H. Ingham c
Affiliations:   a National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
b Economics Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
c Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, Australia
DOI: 10.1080/1354570042000332605
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
Published in: journal Feminist Economics, Volume 11, Number 1 March 2005 , pages 41 - 62
Number of References: 86
Formats available: HTML (English) : PDF (English)
Article Requests: Order Reprints : Request Permissions


Abstract

Thoughtful economists have long been aware of the limitations of national accounting and GDP in measuring economic activity and material well-being. Feminist economists criticize the failure to count women's unpaid and reproductive work in measures of economic production. This paper examines the treatment of human milk production in national accounting guidelines. Human milk is an important resource produced by women. Significant maternal and child health costs result from children's premature weaning onto formula or solid food. While human milk production meets the standard national accounting criteria for inclusion in GDP, current practice is to ignore its significant economic value and the substantial private and public health costs of commercial breastmilk substitutes. Economic output measures such as GDP thus are incomplete and biased estimates of national food production and overall economic output, and they distort policy priorities to the disadvantage of women and children.
Keywords: Breastfeeding; national accounts; health; food supply and demand analysis; childcare
view references (86) : view citations
Bookmark with:
  • CiteULike
  • Del.icio.us
  • BibSonomy
  • Connotea
  • More bookmarks
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Accessibility | RSS
FAQs in: English . Français . Español . 中文(简体和繁體)
© 2009 Informa plc