Philippine Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (E.O.51)
describe how the Philippine Code of
Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (E.O.51) helps to protect breastfeeding All manufacturers promote their products, to try to persuade people to buy more of them. Formula manufacturers also promote their products, to persuade mothers to buy more formula. This promotion undermines women's confidence in their breast milk, and makes them think that it is not the best for their babies. This harms breastfeeding.
3 mins cont ….Objectives
Breastfeeding needs to be protected
from the effects of formula promotion. One essential way to protect breastfeeding is to regulate the promotion of formula, nationally.
Individual health facilities and health
workers can also protect breastfeeding, if they resist letting companies use them to promote formula. This is an important responsibility. Main Points Of the Milk Code 1. Health workers should promote and protect breastfeeding, and help women initiate, sustain and maintain breastfeeding (Public and Private) 2. No donations of products (breastmilk substitutes and other products) covered by the Law 3. No promotion in the health care system (private and public) 4. No free samples to mothers 5. No gifts to health workers (private and public) cont Main Points Of the Milk Code 6. No company personnel/med rep/milk rep to advise/educate/inform mothers/pregnant women 7. All advertising of breast-milk substitutes and other covered products to the public should be. 8. No pictures of infants and young children, or other pictures idealizing artificial feeding, on the labels of the products. 9. Information to health workers should be scientific and factual. 10. Information on artificial feeding, including that on labels, should explain the benefits of breastfeeding and the costs and dangers associated with artificial feeding.