MP Champions Breatsfeeding Education

6.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 7th Jan 2004

Following representations from a constituent about the promotion of breast feeding and the breast feeding content in child care development GCSE courses Annette Brooke MP asked a series of parliamentary questions relating to government support for breastfeeding initiatives.

One line of enquiry has established that four GCSE syllabuses on Child Development do not mention specifically the provisions of the World Health Organisation's International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk substitutes, introduced in 1981.

Since raising this issue with the Department for Education, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has acknowledged that changes should be made to "ensure that syllabuses take full account of the WHO guidelines at the earliest opportunity".

Commenting on this gap in the GCSE syllabus, Annette Brooke MP said:

"If the government really believes that breastfeeding does provide the best start for babies, it is vital that this message is promoted, particularly among women from low income and disadvantaged households."

Breast milk is considered the best form of nutrition for infants and confers significant long-term and short-term health benefits for both mother and infant. Babies who are breast fed have a lower risk of infections and of developing obesity in childhood. Mothers who breastfeed may lose more quickly the weight they gained during pregnancy and also reduce the risk of developing pre-menopausal breast cancer.

By writing to local GP surgeries and hospitals to learn more about the provision of breastfeeding services locally, Annette Brooke has learned that Poole Primary Care Trust about a number of initiatives promoting breastfeeding across the area.

Poole NHS Trust takes breastfeeding seriously, and recognises the long term advantages to both infant and mother of the practice. New 'Bosom Buddy' support groups are being established this year in both Bere Regis and Alderney, where health visitors and midwives will provide advice and information to mothers about breastfeeding and other health issues.

The International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes was adopted in 1981 by the World Health Assembly, and was recommended as a minimum measure for national legislation. While the International Code seeks to regulate the marketing of breast milk substitutes, bottles and teats it does preserve the right of every woman to chose how she feeds her infant. The Code does seek to stop the promotion of artificial feeding.

Manufacturers of breast milk substitutes have been so successful around the world in their marketing that they have often created the impression that their products are as good as breast milk. Such campaigns have had the effect of undermining women's confidence in the superiority of breast milk and their ability to breastfeed.

On average, 70 per cent of mothers in Britain do breast feed their infants. However, while over 90 per cent of women from the highest social class breast feed, only 59 per cent of women from low income households do so. It is this group of women which should be targeted particularly by the government to raise levels of breastfeeding.

While a small step, the QCA's admission that the provisions of the WHO's International Code in GCSE syllabuses were not adequately reflected is an important gap to have filled. In addition, it provides a starting point from which to continue to campaign for the implementation in full of all the requirements of the Code into UK baby food legislation to ensure that women in this country are provided with the information and the services they need to give their infant the best start in life.