Breastfeeding and the return to work after childbirth of new mothers: Evidence from a baby formula scare
利用2003年以色列婴儿配方奶粉恐慌作为自然实验，研究发现恐慌后生育的新妈妈产后6个月内平均工作月数下降约11%，且母乳泵借用增加，表明母乳喂养导致重返工作延迟。
Abstract We use a baby formula “food scare” in Israel in 2003 as a plausible natural experiment to study the causal relationship between breastfeeding and mothers’ return to work after childbirth. Analysis of administrative data covering the universe of births in the country shows that first‐time mothers who gave birth shortly after the scare delayed their return to work. Their average months worked in the first 6 months after childbirth fell by about 11% relative to their counterparts in the previous year. Data from a major medical equipment lender in Israel indicates an increased likelihood of borrowing milk pumps, suggesting that the delay in returning to work was driven by an increase in breastfeeding. The results indicate that despite developments in technology and policy changes in recent decades, mothers still trade off work for the breastfeeding of their children.