WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK - ARTICLES BY SUDHA R

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK

World Breastfeeding Day : Aug. 1
World Breastfeeding Week : Aug. 1 to 7

The Theme for 2006 World Breastfeeding Week
"The IMS Act: Making it Known to People"
Let people monitor the company behavior!

One more "Breastfeeding Week" is here now. Here we are to save infants from the trap of the companies who boast themselves of producing quality Infant Food Substitutes! This year’s theme educates the public and mothers to know the different provisions of the ‘Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992’(IMS Act).
As you all know, every year the 1st of August is celebrated as the "World Breastfeeding Day" and the first week of August is the "World Breastfeeding Week". This is the occasion to promote breastfeeding among young mothers. The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) has taken all pains to promote breastfeeding throughout the country through its State Units and District Branches.
In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) launched the Global Strategy for infant and Young Child Feeding, which has been adopted by the World Health Assembly, call upon all governments and other actors : "to ensure that all health and other relevant sectors protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond , while provideing woemn access to the support that they require - in the family, the community and the workplace - to achieve this goal."
The Asia Pacific Conference on Breastfeeding and National Convention of BPNI held in New Delhi from 30th Nov to 3rd Dec 2003 has brought together over 500 participants from 38 countries and adopted "The Delhi Declaration on Infant and Young Child" which calls for urgent action among others: "...(1) Promoting exaclusive breastfeeding through comprehensive interventions at three levels family / community, services and policy supported by training and capacity development."

Benifits of Breast Feeding
Every child gets benefit from breastfeeding, regardless of where it lives. Breastmilk has all the nutrients babies need to stay healthy and grow. It protects the baby from diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, two leading causes of infant death. It stimulates their immune systems and response to vaccinations. It contains hundreds of health-enhancing antibodies and enzymes. It requires no mixing, sterilization or equipment, and it is always at the right temperature.
Children who are breastfed have lower rates of childhood cancers, including leukaemia and lymphoma. They are less susceptible to pneumonia, asthma, allergies, childhood diabetes, gastrointestinal illnesses and infections that can damage their hearing. Studies suggest that breastfeeding is good for neurological development. Breastfeeding offers a benefit that cannot be measured: a natural opportunity to communicate love at the very beginning of a child’s life. Breast- feeding provides hours of closeness and nurturing everyday, laying the foundation for a caring and trusting relationship between mother and child.
Breastfeeding, that nurtures life, is an important bond between the mother and the new born baby. The warm contact provides the new born with not only sustenance but also love and security. Breastfeeding provides protection from diseases and malnutrition, gives infants a head start in life and also saves money which artificial or bottle feeding entails.
Breastfeeding has a direct relation to the nutrition levels of the infants. It has ben reported that breastfed infants have higher IQ, better nutrition levels and are emotionally sound. Breastfeeding also empowers women while contributing to the financial security of families. Investments in promoting optimal infant and young child feeding are therefore important and essential for ensuring a healthy and well developed society.
"Exclusive breasfeeding for six months means that the infant receives only breastmilk, from her mother or eaxpressed breastmilk, and no other foods or drinks with the exception of drops or syrups consisting of vitamins, mineral, supplements, or medicines during this time. After six months, breastfeeding should continue for two years or more along with appropriate complementary feeding. Exclusive breastfeeding is SAFE, SOUND and SUSTAINABLE."

Keep Away Ready Infant Food Substitutes/Products
Mothers and infants have to be defended from manufactured formula that kills at least 1.5 million infants a year, mainly in the third world countries truly a weapon of mass destruction. Promotion of infant formula is called as white murder in Africa. This is also true to our country.
On 7th May 2003, in a press release the Govt. of India came out with the Amendment of the Infant Milk Substitutes Act. Now baby food manufacturers will no longer be permitted to "promote" their product like infant formula, infant food (complementary / cereal food), and other packaged foods for consumption below the age of two. Government of India had enacted the Infant Milk Substitutes Act in 1992 to prevent improper practices till 6 months. The amended bill 2003 recognizes the breastfeeding is the best, but in modern times our babies are deprived of this gift due to aggressive promotion of infant formula and packaged cereal foods, which resulted in increased infant morbidity, malnutrition and mortality.

Breastfeeding and Poverty Reduction
Infant and young child feeding is very aptly put in the framework of poverty reduction strategies. As the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2002 states : "Inappropriate feeding practices and their consequences are major obstacles to sustainable socio-economic development and poverty reduction. Governments will be unsuccessful in theefforts to accelerate economic development in any significant long-term sense until optimal child growth and development, especially through appropriate feeding practices, are ensured."
Bottle feding on the otherhand perpetuates poverty. BPNI in 1998 calculated that the estimated cost of bottle feeding a baby was Rs.1,100 per month. To an average Indian family, artificial feeding may mean spending half to one third of their income. Poor families spending money on artificial feeding from their tight budgets may have to actually reduce expenditure on nutrition of other family members, especially girls. The whole family falls into the downward spiral of malnutrition, greater incidence of disease, incrreased medical expenditure and decreased finances. The other ramification is that the baby being brought up on eaxpensive artificial bottle feed has increased chances of succumbing to infections, entailing even greater spending on health care and treatment for the sick child. All this perpetuates poverty.

How to promote infant and young child nutrition?
Dissiminate simple inforamtion on provisions of Infant Milk Substitutes Act of 1992 and information on unethical practices by companies.
Widely disseminate the recent amendments done by the Governement of India to the Infant Milk Substitutes Act of 1992 which prevent advertising of any form of infant foods for children below 2 years of age.
Organise Mahila Mandals, Social Groups / Self-Help Groups or take the help of such groups which already exist and make them aware of exclusively breastfeeding and optimal feeding practices, and maternal health. Encourage production and use of indigenous complementary foods.
Organise ‘best practice’ seminar on breasfeeding and young child nutrition for families and health care providers. Develop the capacity of health and child care workers and social workers, to understand breastfeeding and infant and young child nutrition needs. Ensure that health care staff nurses, midwives and doctors have adequate training.
Promote uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between baby and mother at birth until baby goes to deep sleep.
Support each mother to exclusively breastfeed for six months and to continue to breastfeed for upto two years or beyond, with home made complementary food for six onwards.
For more information the Central and State Units of BPNI can be contacted.
Addresses:
Dr. Arun Gupta, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India - (BPNI),
BP-33, Pitampura, Delhi - 110 088.http://www.bpni.org/

Dr. Shobha Banapurmath, Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India - (BPNI)- Karnataka Branch, 390, 8th Main, P.J. Extension, Davanagere- 577 002.

Collected by/ - Sudha R

Expert Advice : Dr. S. G. Shivaprasad, SG Clinic, Holalkere Road, Chitradurga.

Address : Sudha R. B.Sc.,LL.B.,Superintendent, Govt. First Grade College, HOLALKERE - 577 536
Ph. 9886371204

What is "Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992" (IMS Act)?

Improper marketing practices of companies, especially through advertisements of infant milk substitute / formula and infant foods, undermine breastfeeding leading to increased infant morbidity, mortality, and malnutrition. We also know that formula feeding is a sure method to invite malnutrition and more deaths in children of our country. Recognizing this to be a major public health problem, the Government of India, in 1992, enacted the ‘Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding Bottles and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992’(IMS Act). This Act sought to regulate production, supply and distribution of infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods.
In spite of the IMS Act, baby food manufacturers continue to find loopholes to market their products and undermine breastfeeding by reducing women’s confidence in breastfeeding and natural homemade foods.
BPNI has analyzed the IMS Amendment Act, 2003 and a simple interpretation of its important provisions is provided below, for your clear understanding.
1. All Forms of Promotion of Baby Foods by Manufacturers for Babies Under Two Years of Age
Promotion means using any direct or indirect method of encouraging a person to purchase or use these products. Often companies promote their products directly to the families or through doctors or health workers in the healthcare system e.g., a doctor prescribing these products without assessing the need of introduction.
The Act bans promotion of any food for consumption of children under the age of two years
2. All Advertisements in any Media
Advertisement of products is the most common way of marketing and it includes print media like magazines and newspapers. These advertisements often carry emotional proverbs and the mothers are carried away with them.
The Act bans all advertisements by companies through
Print Media – e.g. newspapers, magazines, billboards, pamphlets etc.
Electronic Media – e.g. television, cable television, SMS, radio etc.
or any other method
3. Gifts and Free Samples to Mothers and Health Care Providers
Another way of influencing the minds of mothers is by providing gifts and free samples to mothers and healthcare providers, use of tied sales by providing free consumer products like soap/bowls with infant milk substitutes, feeding bottles and infant foods is. Such inducements undermine breastfeeding and create new customers for the industry.
The Act bans:
Distribution of samples & gifts to pregnant women, lactating mothers, doctors, nurses etc .
Contacting pregnant woman or mother of an infant in hospital, residence, marketplace, by sending mailers etc.
4. Donation of Educational Materials, Equipment or Baby Foods
The educational materials brought out by the companies directly or under their sponsorship are often misleading and undermine the importance of breastfeeding.
The Act bans donation and distribution of baby foods, educational material, and equipment to healthcare system or to mothers directly.
5. Picture of Mother or Baby on the Labels of Baby Foods
Companies often use graphics such as teddy bear, bird, cartoon etc. on the labels and information packs to idealize their products. Pictures of healthy baby or such graphics catch attention of the mothers. This also overshadows the factual information contained on the labels for the benefit of the mother.
The Act bans pictures of an infant or a woman or both or a graphic on the label of these products.
6. Sponsorships and Displays in Healthcare System
It has been observed that companies build bridges over health care system to reach mothers. Often companies are found disseminating educational material with irrelevant and incorrect information in an attempt to influence doctors for advising mothers to use the product.
The infant food industry sponsors professional conferences, meetings, research and other educational events for doctors. Sponsoring hoardings for hospitals and chemist shops is yet another strategy.
The IMS Act bans the use of Healthcare System for --
Display such as posters, hoardings etc. and distribution of promotion materials in hospitals or chemist shops.
Offering gifts or making any payment to health worker or to any member of his/her family
Funding seminars, meetings, conferences, educational courses, contests, fellowships, research work or sponsorships.
7. Payment of Commissions to Staff by Companies for Promoting Sales
Often companies are found persuading their staff for promoting sales of baby foods by giving them sales target or commission on volume of sales.
The Act bans giving commission to its staff on the basis of sales of its products.
Some Action Ideas.
Monitor the companies’ behavior:
Monitor the companies and report any violation to the local MLAs, MPs, write letter to State and Central Ministry of Women and Child Development.
On finding any violation of the Act on Cable TV should ask cable operator to stop airing them and Report to The District Magistrate, the Sub Divisional Magistrate or the Commissioner of Police.
Start a protest campaign against any violating company by writing letters to them pointing the violations.
Addresses:
Ministry of Women and Child Development
A Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001
Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health,
Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001
State Level addresses:
State Min of Women and Child Development
Sec, Min of WCD
MP
MLA
Dist Magistrate
Sub Div Magistrate
Commissioner of Police
Collected by/ - Sudha R
Expert Advice : Dr. S. G. Shivaprasad, SG Clinic, Holalkere Road, Chitradurga.
Address : Sudha R. B.Sc.,LL.B.,
Superintendent, Govt. First Grade College, HOLALKERE - 577 536

Ph. 9886371204