Doctors call for ban on infant milk formula advertising in bid to promote breastfeeding
Doctors call for ban on infant milk formula advertising in bid to promote breastfeeding
The Advertiser
Rose Brennan
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is calling on the Federal Government to enforce new World Health Organisation recommendations that a ban on advertising of infant formula be extended to “follow-up formula” and “growing-up milks” for toddlers.
The WHO said the move was to “protect, promote and support breastfeeding”.
Prof Moloney, the director of pediatrics at Gold Coast Health, said toddler milks were not essential and cow’s milk or breastfeeding were adequate for children over six months.
“It is confusing for parents, it’s consistent, repeated advertising, and it’s quite aggressive at times,” she said. A federal health spokeswoman said Australia had a focus on the first 12 months of life, in particular, in assisting and supporting women to breastfeed exclusively at least until six months.