Healthcare professionals, breast milk substitutes and corporate sponsorship

• Published in: BMJ paediatrics open 2023-06, Vol.7 (1), p.e001876
• Main Authors: Cattaneo, Adriano, Dey, Teesta, Mialon, Melissa, van Tulleken, Chris, Waterston, Tony, Wright, Charlotte
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Babies; Breast Feeding; Breastfeeding & lactation; Childrens health; Conflicts of interest; Corporate sponsorship; Delivery of Health Care; Education; Ethics; Expenditures; Female; Funding; Humans; Marketing; Medical ethics; Medical personnel; Milk; Milk Substitutes; Neonatology; Nutrition; Pediatrics; Professionals; Public health; Viewpoint
• ISSN: 2399-9772; 2399-9772
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2023-001876

Yet there is ample evidence that the CMF industry distorts science, alters public opinion and influences healthcare professionals and policy-makers.2 While some prominent organisations now take a firm stance on this matter,3 the majority of paediatric associations,4 as well as many other HCPAs, still argue in favour of sponsorship.5–7 Seven European paediatric societies recently considered this issue, via consensus discussion and a narrative review of the literature, but without a formal systematic review.6 They argue that interacting with industry is still necessary and that any conflict of interest (COI) can be avoided. Sponsorship of HCPAs is part of the marketing system of the CMF industry: ‘marketing targets health professionals and scientific establishments through financial support, corporate backed science and medicalisation of feeding practices for infants and young children’.2 The CMF industry invests in healthcare professionals, in order to increase the number of parents who use CMF.8 Recent evidence shows that as sales of CMF increased, countries experienced a decrease in breastfeeding rates.2 While this association may not be causal, sponsorship does affect professional attitudes.9 According to a private sector report,10 ‘The major global multinationals put a large part of their selling effort into health practitioners, rather than retailers as it works to sell product’. [...]it is argued that COIs can be managed to prevent harmful effects. First-food systems transformations and the ultra-processing of infant and young child diets: the determinants, Dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption.