Call to amend Breast Milk Substitutes Ordn

Speakers at a workshop yesterday called for amendment to Breast Milk Substitutes (regulation of marketing) Ordinance 1984 in order to stop the use of deceitful tactics in promoting milk powder and complementary foods for babies.
Different companies -- some of them even have no registration -- have been marketing complementary foods and powdered milk for babies using colourful pictures of fruits and toys, they said.
According to experts, children should be exclusively breast-fed up to six months, they said, adding that the rate of exclusive breast-feeding is only 42 percent in the country.
The Institute of Public Health and Nutrition (IPHN) organised the workshop on 'Problems in implementing breast milk substitute code and its solution' in the city.
Breast-feeding is a must for good health of children and it is also important for mothers, said Labin Rahman of Breast Feeding Foundation (BFF).
IPHN Director Fatima Parveen Chowdhury said exclusive breast-feeding up to two years is important for proper physical and mental growth of a baby.
'Baby care corner' should be established in workplaces, especially in garment factories, so that working women can breast-feed their babies, she said.
Mohammad Jahangir, joint secretary of the ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was present as the chief guest.