Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Claims U.S. Attempts To Water Down Breast-Feeding Resolution Was Due To Opposition To Formula Limits
The Associated Press: Trump Says US Had Opposed Formula Limits, Not Breastfeeding
The U.S. opposed a World Health Assembly resolution to encourage breastfeeding because it called for limits on the promotion of infant formula, not because of objections to breastfeeding, President Donald Trump tweeted Monday. Trump criticized The New York Times for reporting that U.S. officials sought to remove language that urged governments to protect, promote and support breastfeeding, along with language calling on policymakers to limit the promotion of food products, such as infant formula, that can be harmful to young children. (7/9)
The New York Times: Trump Stance On Breast-Feeding And Formula Criticized By Medical Experts
The Trump administration’s aggressive attempts to water down an international resolution supporting breast-feeding go against decades of advice by most medical organizations and public health experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics calls human breast milk the “normative standard” for infant feeding, and recommends that mothers breast-feed their babies exclusively for six months. “Breast-feeding is one of the most cost-effective interventions for improving maternal and child health,” said Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. (Rabin, 7/9)
And this isn't the first time the U.S. has waded into this particular debate —
The Washington Post: U.S. Effort To Weaken An International Breast-Feeding Resolution Has A Long History
An aggressive effort by U.S. officials to weaken an international resolution to promote breast-feeding this year is the latest example of the government taking an industry's side in global public health, advocates said. This spring, U.S. officials threatened negative trade consequences for Ecuador if the country introduced a resolution to the World Health Assembly to encourage breast-feeding, according to a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly. That person said there had been significant lobbying of U.S. representatives in Switzerland by the infant-formula industry over the issue. Ecuador's Ministry of Health did not reply to a request for comment. (Johnson and Erickson, 7/9)
