Substitutes cannot replace the marketing of breast milk formula powder, which needs to be strictly controlled

Source: China Women's Daily

Chen Shu, all-media reporter of China Women's Daily

"Breast milk is the most natural, beautiful and safest food for every new life, and successful breastfeeding requires the nutrition of the mother, the reasonable diet of the mother, the responsibility of the mother, and it is inseparable from the support of the family and the workplace and the whole society." A few days ago, Professor Yang Yuexin, president of the Chinese Nutrition Society, called for the promotion of breastfeeding at the theme seminar of "Protecting Breastfeeding and Sharing Responsibility" that promoting breastfeeding is a concern and support for the health of the whole people, and it is also a high extension and expansion of the development of nutrition.

China Women's Daily all-media reporter learned from the seminar that the "Infant Feeding Consultation - Training Course and Practical Guidance for Grassroots Health Personnel" has been officially released recently, which is jointly organized and compiled by the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the National Health Commission and the UNICEF Office in China, which details how to breastfeed scientifically and how to carry out technical operations, which is of great guiding significance for new mothers and auxiliary personnel.

The benefits of breastfeeding are far beyond imagination and babies should be exclusively breastfed for 6 months

"The benefits of breastfeeding are far beyond your imagination. Breastfeeding is not just about gaining weight and promoting brain development, such as the development of smell and taste are related to breastfeeding. This is something that breast milk formulas are hard to do. Lai Jianqiang, a professor at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the meeting that there are more than 2,000 kinds of nutrients contained in breast milk, and now there are about 200 kinds of measurements, including carbohydrates, proteins, fats and so on. The mystery of breast milk also lies in its variability, the composition of colostrum and transitional milk is obviously different, the content of breast milk components during the day is different from that at night, and the content of the components in the front, middle and back milk at each feeding is also different. "Including the mother's age, diet, height and weight, birth grade, etc. will create milk components, as well as the birth weight of infants and young children, lactation stages, etc. will affect the breast milk components." Lai Jianqiang said. In addition, there are differences between individuals in breast milk, and one person cannot replicate the milk of another person.

Lai Jianqiang introduced that the "Healthy China Action (2019-2030)" pays special attention to nutrition in the early 1,000 days of life, and clearly proposes to pay attention to breastfeeding and the addition of complementary foods. The World Health Organization clearly states in the breastfeeding guidelines that exclusive breastfeeding should be maintained for 6 months in the infant, continue to breastfeed until 2 years of age, and if possible, it can be continued for a longer period of time.

Breast milk substitutes are impacting breastfeeding, with more than half of children worldwide not fully enjoying the benefits of breastfeeding

Such breast milk, which is "dripping sweet and full of mother's love", is currently experiencing the impact of breast milk substitutes. Dr Chang Suying, a nutrition expert at UNICEF China, pointed out at the meeting that breastfeeding rates in both China and countries around the world are not reaching the ideal state, saying: "More than half of the world's children, about 2/3 of China's children, do not fully enjoy the benefits of breastfeeding."

Lai Jianqiang pointed out that at present, the exclusive breastfeeding rate of 6-month-old infants in China is only more than 20%, the weaning situation is very high, and the relationship between feeding and weaning and breast milk substitutes is subtractive and additive. China's 2019 data show that the overall trend of the birth rate is declining, but formula sales continue to rise, mainly because more children do not eat enough breast milk and choose formula.

At the meeting, Anno, Head of THE CHILD Health and Development Division at UNICEF China, said that women around the world are very willing to breastfeed their children, but their original intentions often encounter challenges, such as the over-marketing of breast-milk substitutes, which often prevents mothers from breastfeeding. Studies have shown that breast milk substitutes will advertise that milk powder is very close to breast milk, to exaggerate the benefits of milk powder, this marketing strategy will stimulate anxiety in mothers.

Marketing of breast-milk substitutes needs to be strictly regulated and family-friendly policies in the workplace be implemented

The Adoption by the World Health Assembly in 1981 of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes requires that all formula labels and information indicate the benefits of breastfeeding and the health risks of using substitutes; No promotion of breast-milk substitutes; Not to provide free samples of substitutes to pregnant women, mothers and their families; Free or subsidized substitutes are not distributed to health workers or health facilities. The reporter learned that this year coincides with the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the "International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes", and the international community especially advocates that countries strictly abide by the code.

Chang Suying proposed at the meeting that we should support and call for the effective protection and promotion of breastfeeding by strictly regulating the marketing behavior of breast-milk substitutes, expanding the scope of high-quality infant and young child feeding consulting services, implementing family-friendly policies in the workplace, and strengthening the publicity of breastfeeding significance. Pregnant women and new mothers now frequently see advertisements for the benefits of breast-milk substitutes, which are particularly strong for them, affecting their determination and implementation of breastfeeding. Chang Suying suggested that China's own management measures for breast-milk substitutes should be formulated to regulate the marketing of breast-milk substitutes.

Chang Also suggested that the provisions of the Advertising Law on excessive and misleading marketing of infant food should be strictly enforced. "We have to solve new problems in the process of advocating for legislation, such as implanting soft ads, pictures, or promoting pregnant women's milk powder with the same image as children's milk powder, implying that your child should eat such milk powder and other implicit marketing." At the same time, more authorities are given to regulatory and legislative departments to take strict measures to regulate the marketing of formula powders. Chang Suying said.

In response to the low breastfeeding rates of nursing mothers after they return to work, experts recommend that family-friendly policies in the workplace should be implemented to create conditions for working mothers. "One is to have enough maternity leave and breastfeeding leave; Second, when the mother returns to the workplace, the unit should establish a mother and baby room, and at the same time encourage all units to give flexible working hours to returning mothers, provide parental leave and necessary subsidies, so as to reduce the economic burden of employees in finding social support. Chang Suying said.