Copyright 1995 Southam Inc. The Gazette (Montreal)

August 14, 1995, Monday, FINAL EDITION

SECTION: WOMAN NEWS; FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND AROUND THE CORNER:
INTERNATIONAL; Pg. C1/BREAK

LENGTH: 194 words

HEADLINE:  Breast-feeding  gets a boost

DATELINE: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

BODY: Malaysia's government seems to be doing its best to eliminate the
competition in its efforts to "uphold the supremacy of breast milk." The
government drafted a stringent code of ethics limiting the formula-milk
industry, including a ban on advertisements, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

It bans the industry from sponsoring baby shows, printing pictures of
babies on its products or supplying baby food to the health-care industry.
It forbids The Gazette (Montreal), August 14, 1995

doctors and hospitals to allow advertisements of formula milk in their
premises or accepting industry incentives to promote products, the New
Straits Times quoted Health Minister Chua Jui Ming saying.

Baby-food products also will be required to carry mandatory labels saying:
"Mother's milk is the best food for the baby" and "Infant formula is not
the only food for babies over 6 months old," the Times said. The aim "is to
uphold the supremacy of breast milk . . . and to ensure the proper use of
infant formula when there is a medical need," Chua said.

Chua said a recent government study showed more than half of women were
unaware breast milk provides complete nutrition to infants under 6 months
old.

[log in to unmask] (Arly Helm, LC)