Breastfeeding in the Developing World – a Matter of Life and Death?
Most of us are aware that there are a number of health benefits associated with breastfeeding, but did you know that in some parts of the world, the decision whether to breast or formula feed is quite literally, a matter of life and death?
UNICEF estimates that one baby dies every 30 seconds as a direct result of unsafe bottle-feeding throughout the world. A shocking statistic indeed. So why does this happen?
Well, largely because in many parts of the developing world there simply isn't clean water with which to mix the formula, leading to spread of infections, causing diarrhoea and dehydration. Also because of the expense of formula feeding, many parents are tempted to over-dilute the formula to make it last longer, adding malnutrition to the problems. Indeed, it's not just the baby that suffers in such situations, but the whole family. Some of the poorest families in the world are spending a large proportion of their incomes on infant formula – it would be better all round if they were spending that money on nutritious food for the whole family.
So why is this happening? Basically because large corporations are persuading mothers that formula feeding is best for their babies. These companies are interested in profit above all else. They persistently flout the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes, employing unethical advertising practices, giving away free samples to new mums and providing inducements to health professionals.
The company most often criticised is one you may not even associate with infant formula in the UK, though it is a major player in that market worldwide. It's a name you will be very familiar with though, at the breakfast table, in the grocery cupboard and the coffee cup – Nestlé.
In the UK , and most of the developed world indeed, we are very privileged: we know the benefits of breast milk, but if we choose to formula feed, we know that we have safe water supplies and sterilisers. We are provided with instructions in language that we can clearly understand, and in the UK our government even provides milk tokens for families on lower incomes. Mothers in some other parts of the world are not so lucky, and nor are their babies. If you would like to know more, and find out how you can help fight this exploitation, check out www.babymilkaction.org but be warned, it may leave you feeling rather uncomfortable the next time you drink a cup of Nescafé or reach for a KitKat!