Marketing of commercial milk formula: a system to capture parents, communities, science, and policy.

Despite proven benefits, less than half of infants and young children globally are breastfed in accordance with the recommendations of WHO. In comparison, commercial milk formula (CMF) sales have increased to about US$55 billion annually, with more infants and young children receiving formula products than ever. This Series paper describes the CMF marketing playbook and its influence on families, health professionals, science, and policy processes, drawing on national survey data, company reports, case studies, methodical scoping reviews, and two multicountry research studies. We report how CMF sales are driven by multifaceted, well resourced marketing strategies that portray CMF products, with little or no supporting evidence, as solutions to common infant health and developmental challenges in ways that systematically undermine breastfeeding. Digital platforms substantially extend the reach and influence of marketing while circumventing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Creating an enabling policy environment for breastfeeding that is free from commercial influence requires greater political commitment, financial investment, CMF industry transparency, and sustained advocacy. A framework convention on the commercial marketing of food products for infants and children is needed to end CMF marketing.

First-food systems transformations and the ultra-processing of infant and young child diets: The determinants, dynamics and consequences of the global rise in commercial milk formula consumption.

The inappropriate marketing and aggressive promotion of breastmilk substitutes (BMS) undermines breastfeeding and harms child and maternal health in all country contexts. Although a global milk formula 'sales boom' is reportedly underway, few studies have investigated its dynamics and determinants. This study takes two steps. First, it describes trends and patterns in global formula sales volumes (apparent consumption), by country income and region. Data are reported for 77 countries, for the years 2005-19, and for the standard (0-6 months), follow-up (7-12 m), toddler (13-36 m), and special (0-6 m) categories. Second, it draws from the literature to understand how transformations underway in first-food systems - those that provision foods for children aged 0-36 months - explain the global transition to higher formula diets. Total world formula sales grew by 115% between 2005 and 2019, from 3.5 to 7.4 kg/child, led by highly-populated middle-income countries. Growth was rapid in South East and East Asia, especially in China, which now accounts for one third of world sales. This transition is linked with factors that generate demand for BMS, including rising incomes, urbanisation, the changing nature of woman's work, social norms, media influences and medicalisation. It also reflects the globalization of the baby food industry and its supply chains, including the increasing intensity and sophistication of its marketing practices. Policy and regulatory frameworks designed to protect, promote and support breastfeeding are partially or completely inadequate in the majority of countries, hence supporting industry expansion over child nutrition. The results raise serious concern for global child and maternal health.

Níveis pressóricos e fatores associados em gestantes do Estudo MINA-Brasil / Blood pressure levels and associated factors among pregnant women of the MINA-Brazil Study

Resumo O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar os fatores associados aos níveis pressóricos em gestantes participantes do Estudo MINA-Brasil, inscritas no pré-natal da Estratégia de Saúde da Família em Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, Amazônia Ocidental Brasileira. Modelos múltiplos de regressão linear foram utilizados, adotando-se nível de significância de 5%. A maioria das gestantes participantes tinha média de idade de 24 anos (DP 6,3), 44,0% eram primigestas e 59,1% das gestantes apresentaram ganho de peso gestacional semanal excessivo. A ocorrência de hipertensão arterial foi de 0,7%. Os fatores associados positivamente aos níveis de pressão arterial sistólica foram: índice de massa corporal pré-gestacional (β = 0,984, IC95%: 0,768-1,200) e ganho de peso gestacional semanal (β = 6,816, IC95%: 3,368-10,264). Para os níveis de pressão arterial diastólica foram positivamente associados idade da gestante (β = 0,111, IC95%: 0,002-0,221), escolaridade (β = 2,194, IC95%: 0,779-3,609), índice de massa corporal pré-gestacional (β = 0,589, IC95%: 0,427-0,751) e ganho de peso gestacional semanal (β = 3,066, IC95%: 0,483-5,650). Esses resultados reforçam a necessidade de maior atenção pré-natal no cuidado materno para prevenção de distúrbios hipertensivos no final da gravidez.

Abstract The scope of this study was to investigate the factors associated with blood pressure levels among pregnant women participating in the MINA-Brazil Study, registered in the Family Health Strategy in Cruzeiro do Sul in the Western Brazilian Amazon. Multiple linear regression models were used, adopting a level of significance of 5%. The majority of pregnant participants were less than 24 years of age, 44% were primigravidae, and 59.1% had excessive weekly gestational weight gain. The frequency of hypertension was 0.7%. Factors positively associated with systolic blood pressure levels in pregnancy were pre-pregnancy body mass index (β = 0.984, CI95%: 0.768-1.200), and weekly gestational weight gain (β = 6.816, CI95%: 3.368-10.264). Diastolic blood pressure levels in pregnancy were positively associated with maternal age (β = 0.111, CI95%: 0.002-0.221), maternal schooling (β = 2.194, CI95%: 0.779-3.609), pre-pregnancy body mass index (β = 0.589, CI95%: 0.427-0.751), and weekly gestational weight gain (β = 3.066, CI95%: 0.483-5.650). These findings stress the importance of the role of antenatal care to prevent hypertensive disorders during pregnancy.