Research and Impact

This page brings together research-based and conceptual background for those who wish to understand the public, health-related, social, and cultural context behind the public breastfeeding chair initiative.

The public breastfeeding chair is a seating solution designed to help parents use public space in a more comfortable and respectful way.

Research, field-based accounts, and preliminary conversations point to difficulties breastfeeding in public space, including the lack of suitable seating in parks, gardens, and other public environments.

The chair is not intended to replace medical, professional, or community-based breastfeeding support. Its purpose is to add a simple spatial element: a stable and comfortable seating point that enables breastfeeding without leaving the public space.

What does research say about breastfeeding in public?

Breast milk is widely considered the optimal nutrition for infants. Research shows that it protects against infections, reduces the risk of chronic disease, and supports healthy neurological development ²-⁶. For mothers, breastfeeding is associated with reduced risks of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes ²-⁶.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, with continued breastfeeding up to two years and beyond ¹. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines breastfeeding as a public health priority that requires supportive environments and appropriate public policy ².

A large Israeli cohort study published in 2025 in JAMA Network Open examined more than half a million children in Israel and found that longer breastfeeding duration, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, was associated with lower odds of developmental delays and neurodevelopmental conditions ³⁴. This does not prove that any specific chair changes breastfeeding rates or child development outcomes, but it does strengthen the public-health rationale for creating environments that support breastfeeding outside the home.

Despite these recommendations, only about 48% of infants worldwide are exclusively breastfed until six months of age ¹. Research identifies several barriers to breastfeeding in public spaces, including embarrassment, fear of negative reactions, and the lack of appropriate seating or basic privacy ⁷, ¹²-¹⁵, ¹⁸-²¹.

Legal protection for breastfeeding in public exists in a number of countries, including the United States and Australia ⁹, ¹⁶. In Israel, the Ministry of Health states that breastfeeding is permitted anywhere, including in public spaces, and encourages environments that support breastfeeding in public and everyday settings ¹⁷.

Economic research also points to a broader impact: suboptimal breastfeeding is estimated to cost about 0.7% of global GDP due to increased healthcare costs and lost productivity. Promoting breastfeeding may reduce morbidity and mortality among both infants and mothers ³-⁶.

Research on breastfeeding-friendly environments sometimes recommends additional elements such as ergonomic seating with back and arm support, footrests, partial privacy through shade or low partitions, and accessible, comfortable areas with lighting, ventilation, and in some cases supportive amenities such as changing surfaces or nearby water access ¹², ¹⁸-²¹.

Design solutions can help translate some of these recommendations into real public environments, making urban spaces more accessible, respectful, and supportive for families.

Cultural and spiritual perspectives on breastfeeding

Beyond medical and social research, breastfeeding also holds cultural and spiritual meaning — especially within Jewish tradition.

Breastfeeding in Jewish tradition

In Jewish tradition, breastfeeding is understood not only as a physiological act, but also as one with emotional, spiritual, and ethical significance. Biblical sources compare God's relationship with Israel to that of a nursing mother and child (Isaiah 49:15; Psalms 22:10)²², emphasizing care, nourishment, intimacy, and continuity.

Spiritual influence and inner purity

Rabbinic and later Jewish sources often describe breastfeeding as having a spiritual dimension. The Talmud recounts that Moses refused to nurse from Egyptian women in order to preserve the sanctity of his mouth²³. Other sources describe milk as a direct continuation of the mother's body and as an expression of the deep bond between mother and child²⁴-²⁵. Rashi, Ramban, and various kabbalistic traditions emphasize the mother's spiritual state and its influence on the child²⁶-²⁷.

Breastfeeding, modesty, and public space

Halachic tradition views breastfeeding as natural and highly important, and in some contexts even as an obligation²⁸. At the same time, there are differing approaches regarding breastfeeding in public settings:

  • Haredi communities generally prefer breastfeeding in private or with full cover²⁹.
  • Religious-Zionist perspectives may permit public breastfeeding while maintaining reasonable modesty³⁰.
  • Rabbi Ben Zion Motzafi presents a balanced view, encouraging continued breastfeeding while permitting public breastfeeding with appropriate cover³³.

Breastfeeding across cultures

Breastfeeding is also valued in many other cultural and religious traditions. In Islamic tradition, for example, breastfeeding is regarded as an important part of the bond between mother and child, and it is also recommended for a period of about two years³².

Supportive and respectful public space

Public environments that offer comfortable seating, the option of partial privacy, and the possibility of cover when needed can help mothers breastfeed with dignity, safety, and respect for diverse cultural and religious perspectives.

Research, public, and legal references
  1. WHO, UNICEF. Joint statement on World Breastfeeding Week 2023. Geneva: WHO/UNICEF; 2023.
  2. Meek JY, Noble L; Section on Breastfeeding. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988.
  3. Victora CG, Bahl R, Barros AJD, et al. Breastfeeding in the 21st century: epidemiology, mechanisms, and lifelong effect. Lancet. 2016;387(10017):475–490.
  4. Rollins NC, Bhandari N, Hajeebhoy N, et al. Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? Lancet. 2016;387(10017):491–504.
  5. Walters DD, Phan LTH, Mathisen R. The cost of not breastfeeding: global results from a new tool. Health Policy Plan. 2019;34(6):407–417. doi:10.1093/heapol/czz050
  6. Bartick MC, Schwarz EB, Green BD, et al. Suboptimal breastfeeding in the United States: maternal and pediatric health outcomes and costs. Matern Child Nutr. 2017;13(1):e12366. doi:10.1111/mcn.12366
  7. Hauck YL, Graham-Smith C, McCarthy R, et al. Breastfeeding in public: who sets the rules? Midwifery. 2020;81:102574. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2019.102574
  8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC: Office of the Surgeon General; 2011.
  9. National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Breastfeeding State Laws. Updated Aug 26, 2021. Available from: https://www.ncsl.org/health/breastfeeding-state-laws
  10. Boundy EO, Nelson JM, Li R. Public belief in the maternal health benefits of breastfeeding — United States, 2018 and 2021. Prev Chronic Dis. 2023;20:E18. doi:10.5888/pcd20.230010
  11. IBFAN. Report on the situation of infant and young child feeding in Israel. Submission to CEDAW Pre-session; 2017.
  12. Yeşildere Sağlam H, Aktaş Reyhan F, Dağlı E. What should a breastfeeding place in public spaces be like? A qualitative study on women’s experiences. HERD. 2024;17(3):97–110. doi:10.1177/19375867241237508
  13. Komodiki E, Kontogeorgou A, Papastavrou M, et al. Breastfeeding in public: a global review of different attitudes towards it. J Pediatr Neonatal Care. 2014;1(00040). doi:10.15406/jpnc.2014.01.00040
  14. Meng X, Daly A, Pollard CM, Binns CW. Community attitudes toward breastfeeding in public places among Western Australia adults, 1995–2009. J Hum Lact. 2013;29(2):183–189.
  15. Grant A, Pell B, et al. Views and experience of breastfeeding in public: a qualitative systematic review. Matern Child Nutr. 2022;18(4):e13407. doi:10.1111/mcn.13407
  16. Australia. Sex Discrimination Amendment (Breastfeeding) Act 2011 (Cth). Commonwealth of Australia; 2011. Available from: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2011A00184
  17. Israel Ministry of Health. Breastfeeding in Public. Parenting and Parents website. Updated March 11, 2025. Available from: https://me.health.gov.il/parenting/raising-children/baby-nutrition/nursing/breastfeeding-in-public/
  18. Oberrauch M, et al. Environmental design guidelines for public breastfeeding spaces. Appl Ergon. 2018;67:220–228. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2017.10.005
  19. U.S. Access Board. Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards: scoping and technical requirements for medical care facilities. Washington, DC; 2018.
  20. Facility Guidelines Institute. Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals; 2022.
  21. World Public Health Nutrition Association. Position paper on breastfeeding-friendly environments; 2021.

Useful links for further reading:

Israel Ministry of Health – Breastfeeding in Public
Official information in Hebrew about breastfeeding in public spaces and the importance of supportive environments.

Original study – Breastfeeding Duration and Child Development
A large Israeli cohort study on breastfeeding duration and child development.

Israeli Breastfeeding Medicine Society – Hebrew summary
A Hebrew-language summary of the Israeli study on breastfeeding and child development.

34. Additional recent source:
Goldshtein I, Sadaka Y, Amit G, et al. Breastfeeding Duration and Child Development. JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(3):e251540. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.1540

Jewish, cultural, and expanded sources

22. Expansion on "The Spiritual Value of Breastfeeding in Jewish Sources"
In the Torah and Prophets: Isaiah 49:15 – “Can a woman forget her nursing child?” and Psalms 22:10 – “You made me trust upon my mother’s breasts.” These verses present breastfeeding as an image of deep love, trust, and nourishment. The prophet compares God’s love for Israel to that of a nursing mother, while King David describes his earliest sense of trust as beginning in infancy.

23. Expansion on "Breastfeeding affects purity of soul and spiritual development"
In the Talmud: Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 12b – it is told that Moses, as an infant, refused to nurse from Egyptian women. The Sages explain that his mouth was destined to speak with the Divine Presence, and therefore it was not fitting that it should nurse from an impure source. This passage became a basis for the idea that breastfeeding has a spiritual dimension in addition to its physical one.

24. Expansion on "The mother’s blood turning into milk"
In the Talmud: Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 9a – “Blood changes and becomes milk.” The Sages describe a natural process in which the mother’s blood becomes milk during nursing. Later commentators and kabbalistic sources understood this as expressing a deeper connection between mother and child, extending beyond bodily nourishment.

Midrashic tradition also interprets the verse “Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babes You have founded strength” (Psalms 8:3) as indicating that even nursing infants recognized Divine revelation. This emphasizes the purity and spiritual potential associated with the nursing child.

25. Expansion on "Mother’s milk is likened to words of Torah"
Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah (4:11) – “Honey and milk are under your tongue.” In this Midrash, words of Torah are compared to milk and honey. Milk is portrayed as a symbol of nourishment, growth, and development: just as a baby grows through its mother’s milk, so too a person grows in wisdom and spirit through Torah.

26. Expansion on "Commentators such as Rashi and Ramban emphasized the influence of the purity of food and the mother"
Rashi on Exodus 2:7 cites the Midrash about Moses refusing to nurse from Egyptian women, highlighting the spiritual significance of the source of milk.

Ramban on Leviticus 11 explains that forbidden foods affect the soul and generate spiritual coarseness. From this principle, later readers understood that a mother’s milk, formed from her nourishment, could also be understood as carrying spiritual significance for the nursing infant.

27. Expansion on "The Zohar and the Shelah elaborate on breastfeeding as the transfer of spiritual abundance"
In the Zohar and kabbalistic literature, breastfeeding often appears as a metaphor for the transmission of spiritual nourishment. Binah is described as a “supernal mother” who nourishes the worlds with wisdom, kindness, and mercy.

The Shelah emphasizes the spiritual state of the mother during breastfeeding and describes nursing as a process that may influence the child’s inner world and character. In this framework, breastfeeding is presented not only as a bodily act, but also as one with moral and spiritual depth.

28. Expansion on "The Importance of Breastfeeding in Judaism – Sources and Classical Halacha"
Rabbinic tradition and halachic authorities regarded breastfeeding as a natural and essential part of motherhood. In some cases, halachic sources even describe the mother as obligated to nurse her child up to twenty-four months because of the importance of breastfeeding for the infant’s well-being.

At the same time, Jewish law also recognizes circumstances in which breastfeeding may continue beyond the age of two. Breastfeeding is therefore framed as positive, beneficial, and as an act of maternal care and kindness.

29. Expansion on "Breastfeeding and Modesty – Main Halachic Principles"
Halachic sources distinguish between the value and obligation of breastfeeding itself, which is viewed positively, and the question of how and where it is done. Alongside affirming breastfeeding, the sources also raise considerations of modesty, bodily covering, and sensitivity to public context.

30. Expansion on "Contemporary Halachic Rulings – Haredi Approach"
Authorities identified with the Haredi world, including Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv and Rabbi Pesach Eliyahu Falk, generally take a stricter approach and prefer breastfeeding in private or with full cover, especially in the presence of unrelated men.

31. Expansion on "Contemporary Halachic Rulings – Religious-Zionist Approach"
Authorities identified with the Religious-Zionist world, including Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, and Rabbi Dov Lior, tend to permit breastfeeding in public when reasonable modesty is maintained, for example by sitting aside or using a covering.

32. Expansion on "Breastfeeding in Islamic Tradition"
In Islamic tradition, breastfeeding is understood as an important part of the bond between mother and child and as a meaningful element of early care. Islamic sources present breastfeeding as a natural and valued practice, and also recommend a breastfeeding period of about two years.

33. Expansion on "Rabbi Ben Zion Motzafi – Balancing Breastfeeding and Modesty"
Rabbi Ben Zion Motzafi presents a balanced approach, encouraging continued breastfeeding while also requiring modesty and appropriate cover in public settings. According to this view, breastfeeding in public may be permitted when done in a covered and respectful manner. Source: “Doresh Zion”.