La Guerra de la Leche, by Inés Gallastegui is a report that was published on November 5, 2006 in the Ideal newspaper that received last year the Journalism and Health of Andalusia award to the best article in the written press.
I read it a long time ago and it is representative, not only of commercial pressure with respect to breastfeeding, but of everything that concerns our life and capitalism itself.
This news has been talked about for a long time in Babies and more, but I wanted to comment again as a summary.
In a pediatric congress that gathered 1,200 pediatricians in Granada, the Mamilactancia support group, with very good criteria, requested to be part of the congress with an informative "stand". I say with very good judgment because often support groups they have more information and more up-to-date than pediatricians. The organization of the event agreed and the support group attended the meeting. Once there, congress sponsors, headed by Nestlé, changed the mind of the organizers and even reached To call the police to evict those "unconscious moms" who with pamphlets, leaflets and vulgar information came to say that breast milk is better than artificial milk (please notice my ironic tone).
As the editor rightly comments, it is the milk war: The health of babies VS the interests of the industry.
In the article, which you can read here, the author explains various testimonies of people involved in the battle.
Vicky Linares, president of the support group that was, so to speak, humiliated in that congress, defends the position of the support groups, "We are your allies, not your enemies," openly criticizing commercial houses for the unethical strategies they use to increase their sales, such as sponsoring congresses, giving samples to health professionals, so that they in turn give them to mothers, etc.
Blanca Herrera, matron, explains that "Only 1% of women cannot breastfeed for a justified cause"However, at 3 months, only 53% of mothers breastfeed exclusively. Lack of information and commercial and social pressure make the confidence of moms (and dads) with regard to breast milk feeding very poor.
From the health, José Luis Bonal, pediatrician, says that it is true that there is pressure, since people "He likes the plump boy and everyone presses the mother to give her porridge and complementary feeding". I imagine that in the term "all the world" It includes professionals in the health sector, given that too often they are the first to indicate an early introduction of complementary feeding in favor of weight gain. That is, they help people look for a plump child.
He denies that there is a lack of information regarding breastfeeding in the pediatric group, however he comments later that "The nursing baby has to know that there are things other than the breast, such as water or chamomile" when the administration of fluids other than breastfeeding is completely advised against until 6 months of age (and with artificial milk, the same. Where there is chamomile, there is no milk).
Josefa Aguayo, also a pediatrician, brings a different approach to that of his colleague, recommending self-criticism and recycling of knowledge and complains about low breastfeeding rates and industry pressure, incurring constant illegalities, in a "market too succulent to let it escape".
I recommend reading because it can serve to open your eyes a little to the strength of multinationals to achieve what is their purpose, after all: earn money. The last one that really matters is the recipient of your products Proof of this is the amount of constant illegalities incurred by jumping "to the bullfighter" the International Code of Breast Milk Substitutes, in force since 1981.
It is true that milks are getting better. It is true that they have more and more components, but it is also true that they still do not resemble even breast milk in terms of properties, and that if they are continually being improved it is to compete with the rest of the manufacturers, who also improve them, logically, and try to cover as much market share as possible.
Breastfeeding gives a lot of money and nobody wants to give Your piece of cake.
