Lecture Notes: 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding

Welcome and Introduction

• Host: Catriona Devereaux, documentary maker and science communicator.
• Event: 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding at the Royal Society of Medicine, London.
• Focus: Unpacking three papers from the Lancet series that highlight politics, economics, and societal factors preventing recommended breastfeeding.
• Key Points: Breastfeeding connects to health inequality, racial injustice, and environmental protection.
• Reminder: Event recording available on the WHO website.

Presentation by Richard Horton (Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet)

Key Points:

1. Contextual Issues:

   • Universal health coverage has shifted focus away from women's and children's health.
   • Need to revisit attention on breastfeeding as critical to child and maternal health.

2. Commercial Influence:

   • Predatory practices by commercial formula milk companies harm children's health.
   • Highlights the exploitative nature of the industry as a capitalist issue.

3. Child Mortality:

   • 2.3 million newborns died in 2021; breastfeeding can significantly reduce risks.
   • Urges support for breastfeeding initiatives in communities and health systems.

Presentation of Papers

By Nigel Rollins and Professor David McCoy

• Paper 1: Breastfeeding in a Market-Driven World

  • Breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity globally is low.
  • Problems due to pre-lacteal feeds and lack of early breastfeeding initiation.
  • Highlights the biological importance of breastfeeding on health and development.

• Paper 2: Marketing of Formula Products

  • Marketing is a sophisticated, well-resourced system impacting parental choices.
  • Formula sales are increasing, reducing breastfeeding rates.
  • Marketing practices influence health professionals and policies significantly.

• Paper 3: Political Economy Analysis

  • Examines the formula industry's power over markets and health systems.
  • Discusses economic power and its effects on global health equity.
  • A call to action for stronger regulation of marketing and support for breastfeeding.

Expert Panel Discussion

Panelists:

• Professor Helen Ball, Katie Gilbert, Dr. Goodie Singh, Alison Thewliss MP.

• Infant Sleep and Parental Expectations:

  • Cultural myths about infant sleep and feeding need addressing.
  • Health professionals require better training to support parents.

• Marketing Influence:

  • Misleading marketing plays on parental anxieties.
  • Need for improved communication about breastfeeding's unique benefits.

• Political and Economic Responsibility:

  • Governments must enforce regulations and support breastfeeding through policy.
  • Advocacy for public awareness about formula marketing's misleading nature.

Actionable Recommendations

1. Education and Support:

   • Increase breastfeeding education for health professionals and parents.
   • Implement effective support systems for families.

2. Regulatory Measures:

   • Enforce stricter regulations on formula marketing.
   • Implement full breastfeeding support in health and workplace policies.

3. Broad Advocacy:

   • Encourage public discourse and advocacy for breastfeeding rights.
   • Press governments and organizations to prioritize maternal and child health initiatives.

Closing Remarks

• Acknowledgment of the importance of addressing commercial interests impacting child health.
• Encouragement to use the Lancet series as a tool for global change in breastfeeding policies.
• Final thoughts by Anthony Costello emphasizing the political nature of health and need for societal responsibility in supporting mothers and infants.