A 3-paper series on breastfeeding was recently published by The Lancet, highlighting the importance of breastfeeding in child development and various factors influencing a woman’s decision to breastfeed for a desired time period, and how breastfeeding is undermined in today’s scenario by the government and public health and exploited by the commercial milk formula (CMF) industries [1-3].
The first paper in the series emphasized on the determinants that impact successful and long-term breastfeeding (Graphic [A]) [1].
The second paper highlighted the marketing practices adopted by various CMF companies to influence parents’ as well as the caregivers’ decisions and gain profits in sales (Graphic [B]) [2].
The third paper in the series underlined the challenges and barriers to breastfeeding at political, social, and healthcare levels (Graphic [C]) [3].
Recommendations [1-3]
- Skilled counselling and education during pre-natal and post-natal period, regarding unsettled infant behaviour aspects, SRIM, negative impact of CMF, should be provided to all women in order to continue successful breastfeeding.
- The government must provide impartial and timely information about breastfeeding and infant behaviours, free from commercial influence. Also, policies at various levels (health, social development, education, labor, and regulatory sectors) should be implemented in order to favor optimal breastfeeding.
- Regulations on marketing of CMF products should be made by strengthening the code of legislation on the usage of CMF as a substitute for breast milk.
- Undue influence of corporates in health sectors through research, training, and other professional activities (sponsorships, fundings) should be checked.
- The government should recognize resources, and redistribute women’s care work burden by adopting legislation, prohibiting discrimination during maternity, protecting maternity rights, and through gender-sensitive fiscal reforms and gender-budgeting principles.
References
1. Pérez-Escamilla R, Tomori C, Hernández-Cordero S, et al. Breastfeeding: Crucially important, but increasingly challenged in a market-driven world. Lancet. 2023;401(10375):472-85.
2. Rollins N, Piwoz E, Baker P, et al. Marketing of commercial milk formula: A system to capture parents, communities, science, and policy. Lancet. 2023;401(10375):486-502.
3. Baker P, Smith JP, Garde A, et al. The political economy of infant and young child feeding: Confronting corporate power, overcoming structural barriers, and accelerating progress. Lancet. 2023;401(10375):503-24.