The Mexican Case: Socioeconomic Foundations

Mexico is a particular example of how socioeconomic inequalities, a fragmented institutional health system, and the need for individual health choices are interrelated. The aim of this chapter is thus to describe the socioeconomic context of Mexico and to show that it represents an ideal-typical case of Latin American economic development associated with outdated and patchy institutional welfare state systems. This chapter sets the scene for the development of health inequalities in breastfeeding.