Breastfeeding becomes controversial again even through breast is still best

A woman breastfeeds her child while waiting for health services outside a health center in Nampula, Mozambique.  Copyright 2017 Arturo Sanabria, Courtesty of Photoshare

This was originally published on Sept. 25, 2018 on Global lHealth TV.

Breastfeeding — one of the most documented and proven best practices in global health — has become controversial again.

In the mid-1970s, Swiss-based Nestlé corporation was accused of unethical methods of marketing infant formula over breast milk to poor mothers in developing countries. Legal challenges to these practices by Nestlé and other companies led to a boycott of Nestlé. This led to the 34^thWorld Health Assembly adopting an International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes in 1981. Three years later, Nestlé agreed to the code, and the boycott ended.

In May, the U.S. delegation to the World Health Assembly shocked other delegates when they tried to water down a resolution to promote breastfeeding and limit misleading marketing of infant formula. When that failed, according to The New York Times, they threatened Ecuador, the sponsor of the resolution, with trade sanctions and withdrawal of military aid. Russia introduced a similar measure and it was ultimately approved in a slightly altered form that was supported by the U.S. The U.S. ambassador to Ecuador, Todd Chapman, later called reports that the U.S. threatened Ecuador “patently false and inaccurate.”