Breast-feeding not lewd

Utah law permits a woman to breast feed in any location where she has a right to be. Most Utahns understand the profound health benefits that come from mother's milk and they don't bat an eye when they encounter a nursing mother in public or otherwise.

But an incident earlier this week, during which a mother nursing her child apparently offended another customer at a Sandy fast-food restaurant, suggests Utahns could use a refresher course on the law and the many reasons women choose to nurse their babies.

Responding to the customer's complaint, an employee of the fast-food restaurant asked the mother to move from the dining area to the bathroom to continue breast-feeding, or cover herself further, according to restaurant officials. The mother claims she was told to feed her baby in the bathroom or leave. The mother says she wore clothing to conceal the feeding.

Obviously, the offended customer had a right to lodge a complaint. But Utah law is on the nursing mother's side. The law is an appropriate nod to the health benefits of the practice and to clarify that, for the purpose of feeding their babies, women needn't fear being arrested on lewdness charges.

Nursing mothers, obviously, shouldn't go out of their way to make others around them feel uncomfortable as they breast-feed their babies. Breast feeding fell out of favor for many years, and some people have never seen a mother nurse a baby in private setting, let alone in public.

Our sense is the reason that this hasn't been much of an issue in Utah is that most nursing mothers make a concerted effort to be discreet when they breast-feed, understanding that what is the most natural thing in the world for a mother to do for a child might not set well with others who don't fully appreciate the advantages a mother's milk provides or they are uncomfortable at the sight.

Most mothers who elect to breast feed their babies do so because they understand it is easier for babies to digest mother's milk and that it contains the appropriate amount of nutrients for a baby's optimal development. Some of a mother's immunities to disease are passed on with her milk. Some research suggest breast-fed babies eventually score better on standardized tests than children who were fed formula. It's also very convenient.

Other studies suggest that women who breast feed reduce their own risk of breast cancer,

Despite these findings, less than a third of women continue breast feeding until their babies are six months old, government data shows. That's highly unfortunate, considering the many advantages.

The last thing anyone wants is for women to shy away from breast-feeding because of incidents such at the Sandy fast-food restaurant. We hope the incident will help more people understand Utah law, which was written to address situations such as this. At a minimum, business owners should remind their employees of the law so they will be better equipped to handle similar customer complaints in the future.