“Nearly all mothers are physically able to breastfeed and will do so if they have accurate information and support,” said Carmen Casanovas, breastfeeding expert with the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

“But in many cases, women are discouraged from doing so, and are misled to believe that they are giving their children a better start in life by buying commercial substitutes,” Dr. Casanovas said in a news release.

Breastfeeding, WHO stressed, is “the best source of nourishment” for infants and young children and one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. People who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese later in life, less prone to diabetes and may perform better in intelligence tests.

However, globally, only an estimated 38 per cent of infants are exclusively breastfed for six months, the agency noted.

Concerned that breast-milk substitutes were being marketed to mothers too aggressively, the 27th World Health Assembly in 1974 urged member States to review sales promotion activities on baby foods and to introduce appropriate remedial measures, including advertisement codes and legislation where necessary.

This led, in 1981, to agreement on the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, and the adoption of several subsequent resolutions on the matter. The new report, published ahead of World Breastfeeding Week, found that only 37 countries, or 19 per cent of those reporting, have passed laws reflecting all the Code’s recommendations.

For example, 69 countries (35 per cent) fully prohibit advertising of breast-milk substitutes; 62 countries (31 per cent) completely prohibit free samples or low-cost supplies for health services; and 64 countries (32 per cent) completely prohibit gifts of any kind from relevant manufacturers to health workers.

In addition, 83 countries (42 per cent) require a message about the superiority of breastfeeding on breast-milk substitute labels, and only 45 countries (23 per cent) report having a functioning implementation and monitoring system.

The report stated that mothers are often inundated with incorrect and biased information both directly, through advertising, health claims, information packs and sales representatives, and indirectly through the public health system.

For example, distribution of “educational materials” on breastfeeding produced by manufacturers of infant formula have a negative impact on exclusive breastfeeding, as does the distribution of samples of infant formula.

For this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, which runs from 1 to 7 August, WHO and partners are calling for more support for breastfeeding mothers. It noted, among other things, that health facilities that support breastfeeding – by making trained breastfeeding counsellors available to new mothers – encourage higher rates of the practice.The agency also pointed out that breast milk gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development. It is safe and contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide. Breast milk is readily available and affordable, which helps to ensure that infants get adequate nutrition.

Infant formula, WHO said, does not contain the antibodies found in breast milk. There are also risks arising from the use of unsafe water and unsterilized equipment or the potential presence of bacteria or other contaminants in powdered formula.

Breastfeeding also benefits mothers, the agency added, noting that exclusive breastfeeding is associated with a natural (though not fail-safe) method of birth control (98 per cent protection in the first six months after birth). It also reduces risks of breast and ovarian cancer later in life and helps women return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster.

According to the agency, evidence shows that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life not only improves their future growth and educational achievement, but also significantly reduces national health costs and helps prevent chronic malnutrition.

As little as five per cent of all mothers breastfeed in Thailand, while around ten per cent do so in Viet Nam. In China, only 28 per cent of babies are breastfed.

“Mothers across the region face increasing demands on their time, often have to return to work early after childbirth, and may have limited opportunities to breastfeed or express their milk in the workplace,” said UNICEF’s Nutrition Advisor for East Asia and the Pacific, France Begin.

“At the same time, baby food companies are targeting the fast-growing economies in East Asia with aggressive marketing campaigns, persuading mothers to give up breastfeeding and purchase their products despite the drawbacks for their children,” she added.

UNICEF  calls on baby food companies to adhere to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. The Code does not ban the sale of formulas, only the marketing practices that entice mothers to replace their breastmilk with commercial substitutes while it is working wiht businesses in the region to guarantee that women can enjoy the right to adequate maternity leave and nursing breaks. the agency said in a press release.

“When companies adhere to the Code of Marketing it will be easier for mothers to make an informed choice,” noted Ms. Begin. “No formula can substitute the importance of breastmilk for children’s survival, growth and development.