b'There is growing evidence around the world, including from WHO, the World Bank, NGOs and leading academic researchers that, while breastfeeding is difficult for policymakers to deal with, it is worth the investment.Substantial improvements on breastfeeding targets can be achieved quickly. In Brazil, exclusive breastfeeding rates rose from 7% to 37% in 10 years by implementing strong and integrated policies (Prez-Escamilla, 2017). The US is meeting its Healthy People breastfeeding targets through a successful maternity care quality improvement program which has helped many more women to establish breastfeeding successfully (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2019).All new mothers lactate but breastfeeding isImage courtesy of M Coumbea learned skill. And breastfeeding is not a free lunch, at least for women. It can take about 18 hours a week to exclusively breastfeed aChanging paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 6 months would 6-month-old baby. increase the ability of Australian mothers to breastfeed, while assisting the return to work would have the opposite impact. The Breastfeeding already competes with a stronganticipated result of this will be decreased breastfeeding rates and and continuous tide of marketing and promotionAustralian mothers turning to milk formula as a substitute.working against it. Yet another government review by a handpicked consultant is notWe need political courage as well as investments of funds in the solution to harmful marketing. The Worldsocial marketing, to challenge and offset the pervasive and powerful Health Assembly in 2016 called for an end tocommercial promotion of breastmilk substitutes.inappropriate marketing of breastmilk substitutes including via health workers. WHO recentlyThis long overdue 2019 strategy risks making the mistakes of the published detailed guidance for governmentspast. Repeating the 2010 strategy, that was unfunded and run by a genuinely wanting to take action. committee of anonymous officials, will demonstrably not work. Only a public outcry about the looming closure of the National Breastfeeding Powerful vested interests resist constraintsHelpline in 2014 rescued its year-to-year government funding. Its on marketing, or longer paid maternity leave. funding remains minimal and precarious despite the Breastfeeding Some commercial products for infants andHelpline being the backbone of the new strategy.young children may even harm them but can be marketed because the convenience appeals toWithout funding and political commitment and adequate data busy parents. For example: collections, the vision for Australian policy to value breastfeeding will be like the last onelittle more than a motherhood statement thatthe growth in pouches is anticipated to befails to truly value the work that women do to nourish and care for challenged by increasingly informed parentsinfants and young children, by resourcing the programs needed for who heed the warnings of paediatricians.successful breastfeeding.Paediatricians warn that children can miss crucial developmental skills by sucking on pouchesDr Julie Smith is an Honorary Associate Professor and Australian rather than chewing and playing with their food,Research Council Future Fellow, at the College of Health and in addition to dental issues that can arise fromMedicine, Australian National University.pureed food sitting on the teeth (Euromonitor International, 2016, p. 5) ReferencesEuromonitor International (2016). Baby food in Australia, September.Company marketers can also take advantage of time pressures on parents to sell formula andPrez-Escamilla, R. (2017). Breastfeeding in Brazil: major progress, but still commercial baby foods. Market analysts knowa long way to go. Jornal de Pediatria, 93(2), 107110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.that Australias Paid Parental Leave significantlyjped.2016.10.003impacts baby food sales by influencing whether a mother can stay at home to breastfeed herRollins, N. C., Bhandari, N., Hajeebhoy, N., Horton, S., Lutter, C. K., & Martines, J. C. children and whether making homemade baby(2016). Why invest, and what it will take to improve breastfeeding practices? The food is a practical choice. As Euromonitors babyLancet, 387(10017), 491504. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)01044-2food industry analysts observed in their 2016 report (p. 5). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2019, July 16). The 2015 CDC mPINC Survey. Retrieved October 16, 2019, from https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/There is growing evidence around the world, including from WHO, the World Bank, NGOs and leading academic researchers that, while breastfeeding is difficult for policymakers to deal with, it is worth the investment.June 2019 A ustralian Breastfeeding Association | Essence |21'