Connivance of traders with medical practitioners to promote breast milk substitutes (BMS) is a serious impediment to breastfeeding of children, said the speakers at a roundtable yesterday.

They said tricky promotional activities of the BMS traders at child healthcare centres across the country and indulgence of medical practitioners to illegal and unethical efforts hamper natural growth of children.

The roundtable was organised

jointly by Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF) and National Nutrition Programme (NNP) to mark the concluding function of the World Breastfeeding Week at the Cirdap auditorium in the city.

Such activities have been found widespread at 24 of 25 hospitals and clinics that were surveyed recently across the country, said Journalist Sarwar Zahan, chairman of a sub-committee on BMS Code.

"Exclusive breastfeeding for six months followed by a natural regimen of homemade complement can prevent almost 2.5 million child

deaths annually," he said while making his keynote presentation.

The BMS promoters manipulate nurses, ayahs and paramedics offering a deal of Tk 20 as commission for the sale of each tin of BMS to promote their products, he said quoting the findings of the survey.

Pediatricians have been found prescribing BMS for the newborns on a separate small chit at different medical centres, said a number of journalists who took part in the survey.

The BMS traders often deliberately avoid mentioning of warning in required visible manner that there is nothing better than breast milk for the babies and manipulate inadequacies of the existing Breast Milk Substitutes (Regulation of Marketing) ordinance, said Zahan.

It has to be updated to encompass the role of BMS companies, physicians, parents and the government, he said.

"We will take initiatives to make the law up to date," said Additional Health Secretary Md Mizanur Rahman Mazumder.

"The existing law is not properly enforced to regulate marketing and promotion of BMS products," Mazumder said, adding that breastfeeding should continue till first two years of a child.

Joint Secretary to health ministry Dr Khandaker Rashedul Haque said, "Foundation of public health depends on breastfeeding, as it ensures emotional and psychological development of child and promotes strong natural immune system and memory cells in them."

Artificial BMS products with extra fat and preservatives do not serve those essential purposes, he said, adding that it is not proper to feed the baby any artificial foods other than homemade natural ones until two years of age.

BBF Secretary Dr SK Roy chaired the discussion.