PHA-Exch> WABA and tainted milk and breastfeeding

[Claudio Schuftan]

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   *Page 1* *PRESS RELEASE *
For Immediate Release
25 September 2008
*Needless Deaths and Suffering of Babies in China *
WABA, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action - sympathises with the
Chinese
families on the tragic deaths and outbreak of illness of their "bao beis",
precious
infants, as a result of consuming melamine-tainted infant formula. China is
not the
only country which has experienced problems with ensuring the safety of
artificial
infant milk.
There have been 71 occasions in recent years when companies have been forced
to recall
batches of formula because of dangerous contamination. This poses an
additional hazard on
top of the daily universal danger of mixing and using formula incorrectly in
the home, which
also makes many babies ill.
While the most stringent of measures should be taken against unscrupulous
and unethical
milk companies, WABA calls urgently for renewed support for early, exclusive
and continued
breastfeeding, and for additional resources to be mobilised to make this
possible.
"The answer to the risks of infant formula is to renew support for
breastfeeding," pointed out
Dr. Felicity Savage, Chair of the Steering Committee of WABA. "The
widespread use of
commercial formula, with all of its risks and side effects even when not
contaminated with
toxins, is a real danger for infants and young children all over the world,
including in wealthy
countries."
Optimal infant and young child feeding is defined globally as early and
exclusive
breastfeeding for the first 6 months of a child's life, and continued
breastfeeding for up to 2
years or longer, with the gradual introduction of age-appropriate, nutrient
rich complementary
foods from 6 months.
Recently, national and international funding for public education and the
training of health
workers to support breastfeeding has decreased. As a result there has been a
decline in the
numbers of hospitals implementing the WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital
Initiative,
which incorporates the Ten Steps for Successful Breastfeeding, and disallows
the unethical
promotion of breastmilk substitutes in health facilities. In China, for
example, at one time,
maternity hospitals fully supported breastfeeding and the Baby-Friendly
Hospital Initiative.
However, by the high level of formula use reflected in this pandemic, the
practice may no
longer be true.
The public deserves to be accurately informed that infant formula, as the
name states, is a
risky mix of animal milk with chemicals, devoid of any immunological
protective factors.
Formula-feeding is known to result in sub-optimal infant nutrition, and
reduced cognitive
development, compared to the improved health and developmental outcomes for
babies who
receive their own mothers' milk.
"A tragedy such as this should not happen again. The majority of mothers,
given appropriate
support, timely and accurate information and protection from aggressive
marketing of infant
formula, are able to breastfeed," said Susan Siew, Co-Director of WABA. "For
working
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mothers, both in the formal and informal sectors, we need to provide an
enabling environment
with adequate maternity entitlements including maternity leave, flexible
work arrangements
and mother-baby-friendly facilities at the workplaces."
WABA calls upon all Ministries of Health, UNICEF and WHO, and other national
and
international organisations concerned with global health to renew and
increase their funding
and dedication to breastfeeding support throughout the first 2 years of
life, not only at
maternity hospitals, but in public health programmes and the community.
The first food, breastmilk, for the most vulnerable sector of the human
population, our babies,
must be promoted, protected and supported worldwide. Let no babies die and
suffer
needlessly!
For more information, kindly contact:
Susan Siew
Co-Director, WABA
P.O. Box 1200, 10850 Penang, Malaysia
Tel: 604-658 4816 Fax: 604-657 2655
Email: waba at streamyx.com
Website: www.waba.org.my
Miriam H. Labbok, MD, MPH
FACPM, IBCLC, FABM
WABA Steering Committee
Professor of the Practice of Public Health
Director, Carolina Breastfeeding Institute (CBI)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Email: labbok at unc.edu
Links to more detail information:
1. Risks of Formula Feeding for Infant and Children:
http://worldbreastfeedingweek.net/wbw2006/pdf/Risks__Final.pdf
2. Full Recall List of contaminated baby milks:
http://www.ibfan.org/site2005/abm/paginas/articles/arch_art/85-24.pdf
3. The Maternity Protection Campaign (MPC) Kit - A Breastfeeding
Perspective:
http://www.waba.org.my/whatwedo/womenandwork/mpckit.htm
4. WHO/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding:
http://www.who.int/child_adolescent_health/documents/9241562218/en/index.html
5. Innocenti Declaration 2005 On Infant and Young Child Feeding:
http://www.innocenti15.net/declaration.pdf.pdf
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