Selling
Out Mothers and Babies - Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes in the USA
Benefits of Breastfeeding
While many people are aware that breastfeeding
provides greater immunity against a variety of illnesses and infections, there are
numerous other advantages of children, women, families and society. Click
here for full article.
Risks of Infant Formula Feeding
The practice of feeding babies infant formula
rather than breastmilk carries with it profound risks in modern, industrialized countries
as well as in developing countries. While many are familiar with the well-publicized
tragedies of formula-fed infants in developing countries, many are unaware of how the lack
of breastmilk and the use of infant formula compromise the health and well being of
children in the United States. These risks are well documented in the medical literature.
A few are listed below. Click here for full article.
$2.16 billion annually would be saved because of less illness and disease
country wide and $3.02 billion annually would be saved from household expenses because of the
reduced costs of formula purchasing, family planning benefits and decreased health care
expenditures country wide. Click here for
full article.
The WHO Code is the common name for the "International Code of
Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes," which was adopted by the World Health
Organization in 1981. Recognizing that marketing formula is, by definition, an attempt to
reduce the number of breastfed babies, and recognizing that breastfeeding is both a vital
public health and economic issue, the USA joined with 118 other nations in ratifying the
code. Click here for full article.
Breastfed babies are healthy babies and healthy
babies are good for business. Healthy babies mean fewer medical expenses, which is a
tremendous financial incentive for a self-insured company. Companies that promote and
support breastfeeding for their employees save money and increase productivity! Both
employees and employers benefit from lactation programs in the workplace. Click here for full article.
Use of Breastfeeding Fact Sheets
developed by The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles
The Breastfeeding Task Force of
Greater Los Angeles has developed the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets as a
service, and site visitors are welcomed and encouraged to use them. If
the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets are used "as is", we request
that the Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles be credited.
If the Breastfeeding Fact Sheets are modified or adapted, we request
that we be credited as "adapted from ...", and that a copy
of the adapted material be sent to us. Site visitors are also
encouraged to draw upon and use the information contained in the
Breastfeeding Fact Sheets as resource material to support their
efforts to promote, support and protect breastfeeding.
