Midwifery conference is criticised over formula milk sponsors

Organisers of the British Journal of Midwifery’s annual conference, which is set to take place in March, have been criticised for accepting sponsorship from formula milk companies, something that the World Health Organisation advises against.Three companies that market formula milk (Aptamil, Kendamil, and Nestlé) are sponsoring the conference and have each been given a 40 minute slot during the one day conference programme.1Campaigners and researchers have raised concerns, especially in light of ongoing criticisms of the marketing tactics used by the industry, which include exploiting parents’ anxieties and undermining their confidence in breastfeeding.23 The critics have called on the journal to follow in the footsteps of other organisations and drop financial ties to infant formula firms.In 2019 The BMJ announced that it would no longer carry advertisements for breastmilk substitutes,4 and after pressure from clinicians and campaigners the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health also said that it would…
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