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A new report issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that more than half of parents and pregnant women were exposed to promotional campaigns from formula milk companies that market their products exploitively and using nutritional and health claims.

The new report detailed the “exploitative practices” used by infant formula manufacturers – worth $55 billion – that harm children’s nutrition and violate international obligations.

The report, according to the United Nations News website, was based on interviews with fathers, women, pregnant women and health workers in eight countries.

He exposed the systematic and unethical marketing strategies used by formula companies to influence parents’ decisions about infant feeding. More than half of the fathers and pregnant women (51%) surveyed reported being targeted for marketing by formula companies, many of which violate international standards of infant feeding practice.

The report indicated that messages received by parents and health workers are often misleading, unproven and violate the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

“False and misleading messages about formula feeding pose a significant barrier to breastfeeding, which we know is best for babies and mothers,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

These lies include that formula is necessary in the first days after birth, that breast milk is not sufficient to nourish the infant, that certain components of infant formula have been shown to improve the growth and immunity of the child, formula keeps children full for longer, and that the quality of breast milk deteriorates over time. the time.

However, the organizations emphasized that breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, followed by exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for up to two years or more, provides a strong line of defense against all forms of child malnutrition, including wasting and obesity.

Breastfeeding also serves as the first vaccine for children, protecting them from many common childhood diseases. It also reduces women’s risk of developing diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer in the future.