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In a four-page article
on 'New Born Care' that appeared in "Meri Saheli"
a Hindi magazine for women (issue August 2000), the information
regarding infant feeding has been found to be misleading and
scientifically incorrect.
Following
are the contents of that article found to be incorrect,
1. Breastfeeding
should be started as early as possible but there is
no recommendation for this.
2. It is
advised that babies should be exclusively breastfed
for 3 months;
3. Breastfeeding
be stopped from 6 month to one year when child starts
eating other foods;
4. Start
giving the other foods when the child is three month
old;
5. Problem
of not enough milk has been dealt with incorrectly
and unscientifically.
6. Mother's
milk decreases during sickness;
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A careful analysis
and examination by the experts at BPNI revealed that the information
contained in is contrary to the recommendations on Infant feeding
by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government
of India, UNICEF, Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), Breastfeeding
Promotion Network of India (BPNI), and several other international
organizations and experts in the field of child health and nutrition.
The
correct recommendations for infant feeding are,
1. Breastfeeding
should be started within 30-60 minutes after delivery.
2. Child
should be exclusively breastfed for first six months
3. Breastfeeding
should be continued till two years along with appropriate
and timely complementary feeding started at the age
of 6 months.
4. Complementary
feeding should be started at the age of 6 months with
homemade foods.
5. According
to the most updated scientific information mothers
who feel that they don't have enough milk are better
investigated for the reason of this feeling and then
encouraged to breastfeed more frequently to increase
breastmilk supply rather than prescribing drugs or
other milks. (A baby who gains weight adequately
that is about 500 grams a months or passes light colored
urine six times a day, is getting enough breastmilk
from the mother)
6. Mother's
milk does not decrease during sickness.
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This article amounts
to misinformation and misguiding the women of India on this
issue. Needless to say that women in India should receive accurate
and unbiased information on how to feed infants and young children.
(According to studies , in India only 50% babies are exclusively
breastfed up to three months of age and only 33% infants receive
complementary foods at appropriate times).
Incorrect information
like this can deteriorate the current prevalence of exclusive
breastfeeding and complementary feeding which can result in
increased infant morbidity and mortality and also malnutrition.
Incidentally, almost
50% space in this four-page article is consumed by the advertisement
of cereal food "Cerelac" manufactured by Nestle. Most
visible images in this article are either of 'Cerelac' or healthy
babies. These pages do not bear any numbering; according to
some sources in the advertisement section of Meri Saheli, Nestle
has bought these pages.
According to the
Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods
(Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992
(The IMS Act) the responsibility of such information lies with
the publisher as well. And our legal analysis says that advert/article
attracts the Section 7 read with the Rules 7 & 9 of the IMS
Act.
Notes for the
editors
1. The World Health
Assembly adopted the International code of Marketing of Breastmilk
substitutes, in 1981 as a "minimum requirement" to
be implemented by the Member states "in its entirety".
Subsequent World Health assembly resolutions have addressed
questions of interpretations and changes in marketing practices
and scientific knowledge.
2. Infant mortality
rate (IMR) in India stands at about 70; that means 70 infants
out of 1000 live births die by the time they reach one year.
3. In India half
of children under five years are either under weight or stunted
in growth.
4. The IMS Act was
enacted in 1992 and came into force in 1993.
5. The company Nestle
faces a criminal prosecution in the court of: Law for violating
the labelling provisions (section 6) of the IMS Act.
6. Section 7 of the
IMS Act says that, "
(1) Every educational or other material, whether audio or visual,
dealing with pre-natal or post-natal care or with the feeding
of an infant and intended to reach pregnant women or mothers
of infants shall include clear information relating to Ð
(a) the benefits
and superiority of breastfeeding;
(b) the preparation
for, and the continuance of, breastfeeding;
(c) the harmful
effects on breast-feeding due to the partial adoption of bottle
feeding;
(d) the difficulties
in reverting to breastfeeding of infants after a period of
feeding by infant milk substitute;
(e) the financial
and social implications in making use of infant milk substitutes
and feeding bottles;
(f) the health
hazards of improper use of infant milk substitutes and feeding
bottles;
(g) such other
matters as may be prescribed."
7. In May 1999 the
UK Advertising Standards Authority upheld all of Baby Milk Action's
(Baby Milk Action is a UK based voluntary organization for protecting
breastfeeding from commercial influence.) complaints against
a Nestle anti-boycott advertisement which the company claimed
to market infant formula "ethically and responsibly".
(See Baby Milk Action Press
Release).
Dr. Arun Gupta National
Coordinator Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India BP-33,
Pitampura, Delhi 110 034 Tel: 91-11-7443445 Fax: 91-11-7219606
Email: bpni@bpni.org
The Breastfeeding
Promotion Network of India (BPNI) is a national network of individuals
and organisations working for protection, promotion and support
of breastfeeding in India. BPNI believes that breastfeeding
is the right of all mothers and children. BPNI works through
advocacy, social mobilization, information sharing, education
and training of health workers and monitoring the compliance
of International Code/The Indian Law to protect breastfeeding.
BPNI works as the Regional Focal Point for South Asia for the
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) & International
Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN). BPNI does not accept funds
or sponsorship of any kind from the companies producing breastmilk
substitutes, related equipment and complementary foods or those
have been ever found to violate the IMS Act or International
Code.
Breastfeeding Promotion
Network of India (BPNI)
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