
US tries to kill pro-breastfeeding policy - staktrace
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/07/us-puts-fierce-squeeze-on-breastfeeding-policy-shocking-health-officials/
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sincerely
The linked article basically restates the original NYTimes article, with less
detail: [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/health/world-health-
breas...](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/health/world-health-
breastfeeding-ecuador-trump.html)

~~~
greenyoda
... which was discussed on HN yesterday:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17484206](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17484206)

~~~
staktrace
Ah, I missed the previous HN discussion. Sorry for the dupe!

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hackerpacker
The odd thing is, even after 10 minutes I can't find the WHO resolution in
question, only lots of opinion articles. I mean I don't care if you want to
breastfeed, anywhere anytime, just wanting the whole story here. Were they
banning alternatives or something?

~~~
sincerely
I think it's "Item 12.6" on the agendas for the WHO assembly, so you can find
lots of WHO group statements/reports regarding it but I can't find the text
either.

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KSS42
Is it this one?

Agenda item 12.6 :

[http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA71/A71_23-en.pdf](http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA71/A71_23-en.pdf)

Maternal, infant and young child nutrition Safeguarding against possible
conflicts of interest in nutrition programmes Draft approach for the
prevention and management of conflicts of interest in the policy development
and implementation of nutrition programmes at country level

Here are the resolutions:

[http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha71.html#Resolutions](http://apps.who.int/gb/e/e_wha71.html#Resolutions)

[http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA71/A71_R9-en.pdf](http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA71/A71_R9-en.pdf)

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hackerpacker
Thanks!

I mean I hate to sound judgmental, but "that fewer than one in five infants
are breastfed for 12 months in high-income countries; "

I've tried to encourage people to breastfeed, it isn't well received though.

"Acknowledging that achievement of the WHO global target to increase to at
least 50% the proportion of infants under 6 months of age who are exclusively
breastfed by 2025 requires sustainable and adequate technical and financial
resources, and supportive and protective policy and regulatory interventions
as well as political will, and that this needs to be part of broader efforts
to strengthen health systems;"

Yah, definitely an attack on the "formula" industry, along with the conflict
of interest verbiage, but the mothers I've talked to don't care or can't
breastfeed anyway, get mad at them? We are gonna start telling women what to
do with their bodies now?!?

I mean I get it, the benefits are very real to the kid, just wondering what
politician has the cajones to tell women to start breastfeeding more.

~~~
dvfjsdhgfv
It looks like it boils down to two things: the proponents say the
misinformation on the part of the formula industry needs to be stopped,
whereas the opponents claim such a regulation would stigmatize the women who
can't breastfeed. Or don't want.

But when you think about it, what you give to the baby is pretty much a
private thing. The main people who can "stigmatize" you will be your family,
and they can do so for a variety of reasons, not just breastfeeding. I can't
imagine a stranger on a street telling a woman she should breastfeed instead
of giving the baby a bottle (which may contain her own milk btw). I can't
imagine a husband telling such things to his wife. But the mother's mother, or
mother-in-law - they could easily say so. So it essentially boils down to
whether your family is supportive or not. Preventing Nestle from spreading
misinformation is a completely different thing.

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m_t
> I can't imagine a stranger on a street telling a woman she should breastfeed
> instead of giving the baby a bottle (which may contain her own milk btw). I
> can't imagine a husband telling such things to his wife.

You would be surprised at how many people suddenly have an opinion when you
have a baby.

~~~
dvfjsdhgfv
These people can be very quickly convinced to keep their opinions to
themselves by a short word or two. Really, telling parents how to raise their
child is a very delicate issue.

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hguhghuff
What’s with all the immature puns in the article trivializing the subject
matter?

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dvfjsdhgfv
Nestle has its own page about WHO's International Code of Marketing of Breast-
milk Substitutes:

[https://www.nestle.com/ask-nestle/health-
nutrition/answers/w...](https://www.nestle.com/ask-nestle/health-
nutrition/answers/who-code)

Basically, they say that this code is not a law so they don't follow it, but
they have a different code, an internal one, and they stick to it.

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BrissyCoder
"The Ecuadorian delegation, for instance, was expected to introduce the
resolution but was weaned off the idea after the US threatened..."

Lol. Weaned.

~~~
dang
Could you please not post unsubstantive comments to Hacker News?

