Pediatric Nutrition in Practice

2 Nutrition of Healthy Infants, Children and Adolescents

Key Words

Breast milk · Infant milk substitutes · International

Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes ·

Marketing, formula · Millennium Development

Goals

Key Messages

• Breast milk is best for optimal growth and develop-
  ment of a baby; breast milk substitutes are an alter-
  native where breast milk is not available


• Particularly in poor populations, a reduction in child
  mortality [Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4]
  and improved maternal health (MDG 5) can be
  achieved through exclusive breastfeeding during
  the first 6 months and continued breastfeeding as
  appropriate for most mothers


• The International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk
  Substitutes was developed to enhance breastfeed-
  ing practices and to prevent uninterrupted market-
  ing of formulae


• Governments and nongovernmental organizations
  need to monitor the implementation of the code
  and report violations


• Health care workers should promote breastfeeding
  by providing counseling and lactation support be-
  fore and after the birth of a child
  © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel

Introduction

An estimate by the WHO suggests that 1.5 mil-

lion babies could be prevented from dying each

year if women breastfed their infants (exclusively

up to the age of 6 months, and then until the in-

fants are 2 years old) [1]. Breastfeeding was al-

most universal in the 19th century until the first

commercial breast milk substitutes came out [2].

Thereafter, substitute feeding became available

as an alternative to breastfeeding. Soon, in vari-

ous countries breastfeeding rates decreased sig-

nificantly, and this had an impact in the form of

increased mortality because of diarrhea and in-

fections in developing countries. One main rea-

son behind the drastic fall in breastfeeding to low

rates in the late 19th century and in the 20th cen-

tury was widespread advertising by formula

companies. During the 1970s and 1980s, breast-

feeding rates picked up again, especially with old-

er and educated mothers in industrialized coun-

tries. Formula companies responded by vigor-

ously seeking new markets in the developing

world. Companies started giving gifts and other

incentives to health workers for promoting for-

mulae. Due to improper preparation of formulae

Koletzko B, et al. (eds): Pediatric Nutrition in Practice. World Rev Nutr Diet. Basel, Karger, 2015, vol 113, pp 104–108
DOI: 10.1159/000360326

2.3 Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes

Neelam Kler  Naveen Gupta  Anup Thakur