hope this hasn;t already been posted. have had to catch up on days of e-mail
& have done some quick skimming. the link is:

http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/International/20010524/UBABYN.html


article follows for those who can't link up:



Feed only breast milk for first 6 months, UN says

ANDRÉ PICARD

Thursday, May 24, 2001


Infants should breast-feed exclusively until the age of six months, and
continue to be breast-fed to age 2 and even beyond, the United Nations says.

The unanimous resolution by the World Health Assembly, which sets the UN
World Health Organization's policy, says infant formula and baby foods
should not be marketed for use by children under the age of six months,
except in particular circumstances. The assembly called for countries to
step up consumer protection and limit advertising and promotion of
breast-milk substitutes, even on the Internet.

The resolution ends a bitter seven-year dispute about the appropriate cutoff
point for exclusive breast-feeding: at four or six months. Although the
distinction may seem minor on the surface, yesterday's decision represents a
victory for public-health advocates and supporters of breast-feeding, and a
setback for makers of baby food and formula, who stand to lose hundreds of
millions of dollars.

"Settling the debate on the duration of exclusive breast-feeding for six
months is a major step forward in improving the health of infants and young
children everywhere," said Elisabeth Sterken, the national director of
INFACT Canada, the Infant Feeding Action Committee, which promotes
breast-feeding.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.5 million children
die each year because they are not breast-fed.
In developing countries, infants fed formula are four to 16 times as likely
to die of diarrheal disease as infants who are exclusively breast-fed.

The resolution carries the same weight as the existing WHO code, adopted in
1981, which calls for a wide-ranging ban on promotions that discourage
mothers from breast-feeding, but implementation varies from country to
country.

The infant formula and baby food market is worth about $8-billion worldwide,
and the industry has been accused of violating the promotions code
repeatedly.

Food and formula makers objected strenuously to the new resolution, arguing
there is no proof that the longer period is necessary.

Canada played an important role in pushing through the new resolution,
prodding recalcitrant countries to accept the six-month standard. The debate
was also chaired by Dr. Jean Larivière of Health Canada.

Yesterday, Ms. Sterken called for Ottawa and provincial governments to adopt
the new six-month rule immediately.

"Canadian mothers need good support so their babies can have the best," she
said.

About 80 per cent of new mothers in Canada breast-feed their newborns. But
there is no follow-up monitoring, so it is unclear how many breast-feed
exclusively to six months and continue supplementary feedings beyond that
time.



Deborah Sowery-Quinn
Canada


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