Study: Nine of 10 Filipino infants breastfed

THE Infant and Pediatric Nutrition Association of the Philippines belied a drop in breastfeeding, citing the Food and Nutrition Research Institute survey which showed that nine out of 10 Filipino infants are breastfed by their mothers.

IPNAP executive director Alex Castro III said findings also noted that one in three infant is breastfed exclusively from 0 to 6 months.

He said the same indication showed in the latest results of the National Demographic and Health Survey of the National Statistics Office.

In several articles published last November 3, Castro said a study in 2006 was quoted on the supposed decline of breastfeeding from a household survey between April and December along with focus groups in April to May 2007.

But he said the studies were made before the full implementation of the Milk Code’s Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations apart from the relatively small number of respondents and the limited coverage of 345 respondents.

“In fact, since 2007 when the RIRR was implemented, the industry has been compliant and continues to comply with the guidelines,” said Castro.

He said more comprehensive studies such as the latest National Nutrition Survey showed a breastfeeding rate of 89.6 percent has remained virtually unchanged since 2003.

Castro said the percentage of children aged 0 to 6 months breastfed exclusively has even from 29.7% to 35.9% since 2003.

As partner in improving child nutrition, he said IPNAP adhered to the World Health Organization Code “to promote breastfeeding, combat infant malnutrition and reduce infant mortality rates”.

He said the Philippines was commended in 2006 as one of only 32 countries that introduced legislation to implement the Code.

The WHO made a study which found that Filipino mothers who have been influenced by advertisements or their doctors to use infant formula were two to four times more likely to feed their babies with those products.

But Castro insisted that marketing practices were not even mentioned among the reasons cited in the latest survey results to show that mothers did stop breastfeeding.

The reasons given were inadequate milk flow, work, another pregnancy, child refusal, illness of the mother, breast infection, child sickness, child’s separation from mother, advice from relatives and friends, and the child unable to gain weight.

The Department of Health recommends six months of exclusive breastfeeding, noting that mother’s milk remained the perfect food for newborn infants, containing the specific nutrients required for growth and development.

According to WHO authorities, scientific evidence show that formula-fed children die and get sick many times more often than breast-fed children.

Worldwide, an estimated 1.3 million children die each year from not exclusively breastfeeding during the first six months of life. –Macon Ramos-Araneta, Manila Standard Today