Ban infant formula - Motsoaledi

Mila

Mila

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http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/Politics/Ban-infant-formula-Motsoaledi-20100513

Cape Town - Infant milk formula is "no different from skin lightening creams" and should be banned worldwide, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said on Thursday.

He said at the launch of a Human Sciences Research Council report on children and HIV: "I think throughout the world it was a very good idea to taper down the advertisement of infant feeding formulas.

"I think they must be banned altogether - throughout the whole world," he said, adding that he might propose the idea during discussion of the millennium development goals at the World Health Assembly next week.

One of the goals relates to infant mortality.

"When this is brought (up), because I know it's on the agenda, one would bring (up) these issues of infant feeding, because it's one of the key issues.

"If there's a move to ban infant formulas, I'll be one of the people to support it," he said.

Motsoaledi said there was always argument over the best method of feeding a child.

"But we know that breastfeeding is by far the best - all around the world nothing can ever beat breastfeeding."

If there were exceptions, they should be dealt with.

Boycott

He knew he would shock people with his proposed ban, but formulas are "no different from skin lightening creams", which are banned in South Africa.

He emphasised that he was talking about milk substitute formulas, not other baby foods.

Motsoaledi, who at one time worked as a doctor in rural areas, said he knew that in those areas, women sought the slightest excuse to not breastfeed.

The World Health Organisation recommends that in most cases babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months.

In the mid-1970s, advocacy groups launched a worldwide boycott of Swiss formula producer Nestlé, accusing it of using unethical methods of promoting infant formula over breastmilk to poor mothers in developing countries.

The advertising of infant formula has been banned in the UK in recognition of the importance of breastfeeding since 1995.
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Interesting about the ban In the UK. I did not know this. I do think there is a place for it though. People With HIV can give their babies HIV throgh Breast fedding.

But I thought the health minister should know this?!?
 
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Before this thread derails and becomes an ANC bashing thread, let me say that in many ways getting rid of formula is good. Breast feeding is far better for children. It passes on immunities to the baby, and phsycologically helps mother and child to bond. Another major problem in poor countries is that people try to over-dilute formula, to make it last longer. This is terrible for developing babies. While formula shoudl be used for mothers with HIV and other conditions that prevent breast feeding, the general rule should be to breast feed.
 
cr@zydude said:
Before this thread derails and becomes an ANC bashing thread, let me say that in many ways getting rid of formula is good. Breast feeding is far better for children. It passes on immunities to the baby, and phsycologically helps mother and child to bond. Another major problem in poor countries is that people try to over-dilute formula, to make it last longer. This is terrible for developing babies. While formula shoudl be used for mothers with HIV and other conditions that prevent breast feeding, the general rule should be to breast feed.
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Very true. And well done to ban advertising it in the UK but saying it is like skin lightners?? There is no medical reason to lighten your skin. Some mothers can not breast feed.
HIV
No milk
Milk fever.
 
cr@zydude said:
Before this thread derails and becomes an ANC bashing thread, let me say that in many ways getting rid of formula is good. Breast feeding is far better for children. It passes on immunities to the baby, and phsycologically helps mother and child to bond. Another major problem in poor countries is that people try to over-dilute formula, to make it last longer. This is terrible for developing babies. While formula shoudl be used for mothers with HIV and other conditions that prevent breast feeding, the general rule should be to breast feed.
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+1000

There are wonderful alternatives to formulae (eg goats milk) but are hard to source. Banning formulae will create a demand and generate whole new industries. Not all woman can breastfeed (breast reductions, cancer, hormone imbalance)
 
I am not a mother , so maybe someone can explain this to me: as far as I know, there are women who, for various reasons, cannot breastfeed their babies.

What are they supposed to feed these children with, if infant formula is banned ??!!
 
cbrunsdonza said:
+1000

There are wonderful alternatives to formulae (eg goats milk) but are hard to source. Banning formulae will create a demand and generate whole new industries. Not all woman can breastfeed (breast reductions, cancer, hormone imbalance)
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Hopefully the people in the formula plant will be getting the work that will be created.

Tell me is formula lactose free? Milk from a mammal has lactose ( yes mommies included. ) Soy is an option.
 
blunomore said:
I am not a mother , so maybe someone can explain this to me: as far as I know, there are women who, for various reasons, cannot breastfeed their babies.

What are they supposed to feed these children with, if infant formula is banned ??!!
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Soy and goats milk but they are both expensive.


AS far as I can see you can choose lactose free formula.



http://amazingdiscoveries.org/lactose-intolerance.html
It has been found that 90% of African people are lactase deficient
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Not a good Idea in Africa to ban formula.

I had this and 7 years later my brother came along with the same thing not nice. Lucky for my brother my mother new within a week with my brother what was wrong. With me i had to almost die a few times before the doctors figured it out. My mother still believes that milk is a major cause of cot deaths.


YEs yes it explains the mad cow disease i struggle with :)
 
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Mila said:
Soy and goats milk but they are both expensive.
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But in a country like ours, why would the Minister advocate a course of action that would leave (sometimes poor) people with only the expensive options of soy and goats milk ?
 
blunomore said:
But in a country like ours, why would the Minister advocate a course of action that would leave (sometimes poor) people with only the expensive options of soy and goats milk ?
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MAybe we need a minister with a real medical back ground. OR maybe they should research before they open their mouths.
 
cr@zydude said:
Before this thread derails and becomes an ANC bashing thread, let me say that in many ways getting rid of formula is good. Breast feeding is far better for children. It passes on immunities to the baby, and phsycologically helps mother and child to bond. Another major problem in poor countries is that people try to over-dilute formula, to make it last longer. This is terrible for developing babies. While formula shoudl be used for mothers with HIV and other conditions that prevent breast feeding, the general rule should be to breast feed.
Click to expand...

you must understand also that some women can't breastfeed. some women have recoverd from breast cancer, some don't have the right shaped nipples, some mothers don't produce enough milk, etc. my wife was very eager to breastfeed, but sadly our son struggled and if there was no other options he would have suffered a lot.

i also encourage breastfeeding because now that my wife has a breast pump i can see that the little guy prefers it to formula, but my wife still doesn't provide the quantities that my 2 month and 6 kg son wants
 
I am a mother and I could not breastfeed - apparently it is a problem in my family. My sisters could not breastfeed during their first babies either and only started producing milk with their second babies.
According to the article I would have been an 'exception' and would have had to be 'dealt with'...seeing as how the government is doing so well at dealing with everything else, I tend to think they should leave this alone for now - I can see a mother unable to breastfeed being caught up in a lot of red tape just to be able to get hold of formula for her baby. Now while I agree breastfeeding is by far the most preferred method, going out and banning formula seems a bit drastic.
 
This is the biggest bullsh#t I have read in a long time!!!! You don't get wet nurses any more - this is not the middle ages! I for one, battled to breastfeed - my son did not latch properly and he lost over 500 grams in his first week. Formula milk was a life saver! And my one friend had mastitis & could not breastfeed at all - should her baby have starved to death???? :mad:

You get brilliant formulas on the market - that is very close to breastmilk. I used S26 Gold with added Omega B's (AA / DHA) - brilliant for growing babies!

The f&cked up health minister must really concentrate on important issues like upgrading state hospitals - leave mothers to decide what is best for THEIR babies!

And those mothers that dilute baby formula to kingdom come would 98.9% be the type of mothers who would have drank / smoked whilst breastfeeding & do not give a f#ck for the health of the baby regardless.
 
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this is so fukkin stoopid!!!! So if it were banned, my son would have starved to death??? He would not latch on, no matter how much we tried. No doctor or nurse could help. He would just gag. And the human body does not produce milk for long, even you have breast pump and do everything as best you can...

pleasssss wake up Mr Health Minister....
 
Some good points all-round. The biggest problem, and I've seen this with our daughter's nanny's grand children, is the issue of not adhering to the instructions. To little/much dilution, wrong age formula used etc. etc. etc. In many ways it's an educational issue. Banning it is ridiculous, but I have no problem with down-scaling industry's push to sell formula as an alternative to breastfeeding.
 
This is the stupidest proposal I've ever heard. Yes there are mothers who actually can't breastfeed - my wife had a period of struggling with it, then she would have had to do what? Get formula on prescription at 3x the price? Please. We still give baby formula as a supplementary if her breast milk isn't enough and he needs a topup.
 
They should just remember to adjust the maternity leave too.

( i do not have kids)
But as far as I know they do not breast feed for only 4 months. Yes I know you can pump it out.. how much do you have to pump if you leave home at 6:30 and come back at 6 at night?
 
The sad thing is that if this guy gets his wish the price of baby formulate will start to sky rocket due to economies of scale.


So why don't the minister rather just educate people about the benefits of breast feeding and making it the mothers choice.

There's a lot of woman who can't breast feed their baby's due to medical reasons that exclude HIV.
I know of a few such cases personally.

So sorry but I'm against the ban
 
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