The Lancet: Marketing of breastmilk substitutes during the COVID-19 pandemic

12 October, 2020

Dear CHIFA colleagues,

Below are extracts from a letter in The Lancet, saying the 'infant formula industry has been actively exploiting concerns about COVID-19 to increase sales'. Are you aware of similar exploitation in your country or of your patients? Please email: chifa@dgroups.org

CITATION: Marketing of breastmilk substitutes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Christoffer van Tulleken et al.

Published: October 08, 2020 The Lancet

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32119-X

'It is of concern that the US$70 billion infant formula industry has been actively exploiting concerns about COVID-19 to increase sales, in violation of the WHO International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code)1 and national law in many countries.

Globally, infants who are not exclusively breastfed are 14 times more likely to die than infants who are exclusively breastfed... Public bodies that are independent of industry influence, including WHO, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, have unanimously asserted that no evidence exists to suggest breastfeeding increases the risk of infants contracting COVID-19, and that skin-to-skin contact remains essential for newborn health and maternal health.

By contrast, large manufacturers of breastmilk substitutes have inappropriately positioned themselves as sources of public health expertise, and suggested various unnecessary hygiene measures, the use of expressed breastmilk, and the separation of mothers from their babies. Such recommendations undermine breastfeeding and thus increase the risk of infant death...'

Best wishes, Neil

Let's build a future where children are no longer dying for lack of healthcare information - Join CHIFA (Child Healthcare Information For All): http://www.hifa.org/forums/chifa-child-health-and-rights

CHIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is the coordinator of the HIFA campaign (Healthcare Information For All) and assistant moderator of the CHIFA forum. Twitter: @hifa_org FB: facebook.com/HIFAdotORG neil@hifa.org