Infant formula in shades of grey
The recent World Health Organisation report on infant formula marketing makes for interesting reading. The formula milk industry as a whole doesn’t come across in a great way – being described as using “systemic and unethical marketing strategies” is not great. One of the eight countries surveyed was the UK, although the other countries saw more mothers and health care workers reporting marketing towards them, such as China’s 97 per cent. Still, it was 84 per cent in the UK.
I will be blunt here. The marketing of formula towards me as an expectant and new mother did not influence my decision to largely bottle-feed my now giant 14-year-old. And, I have never heard of anyone in the NHS recommending a particular brand of formula, as “more than one third of women surveyed said a health worker had done” in the survey. This may not be the case in the other countries surveyed, which ranged from Vietnam to China, Mexico and Nigeria.
However, I did give breast feeding a go. That being said, support was somewhat minimal, and I know the midwives and health visitors were pressed for time anyway. My mother, who had her children in the 1960s, was also confused by my attempts to breast feed. In the end, it was easier for all if the baby was bottle fed.
I applaud the WHO’s idea that governments, health workers and the baby food industry should be investing in policies and programmes to support breastfeeding, including adequate paid parental leave in line with international standards, and ensuring high quality breastfeeding support. The thing is investing – I always find it alarming how little governments seem to want to spend on the future taxpayers of their countries.
Another recommendation, banning health workers from accepting sponsorship from companies that market foods for infants and young children for scholarships, awards, grants, meetings or events, may be more problematic in countries where there is less money available for such things from governments. If the only way to get antenatal information across is provided by a company, then perhaps a look at what kind of branding is allowable might also be considered.
At the end of the day, companies have to ensure that they tread the line between marketing, and over-marketing, to parents who need information rather than a hard sell. However, it is not their sole responsibility to do so. That being said, a look at what’s best for the baby, and not just the bottom line, would be beneficial to us all in the long run.
- Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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