To be valid, scientific research must be independent, particularly when it comes to health, but unfortunately things don’t always go this way. The latest alarm comes from an international group of researchers who have examined the research on infant formula: the results, recently published in the British Medical Journal, show that most of these are conditioned by the manufacturers, have unclear objectives and avoid reporting unwanted results. Only 14% of the studies examined did not present conflicts of interest, “in 87% of cases the International Code for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes was violated, recently included among the public health priorities in the declaration of the Ministers of Health at G20 “, he underlines Sergio Conti Nibali, nutrition manager of the Cultural Association of Pediatricians (Acp). The question is important: “The results of these researches are publicized and help to offer ‘scientificity’ to the marketing of artificial formulas, to the detriment of breastfeeding”, underlines Conti Nibali. “There is no scientific evidence drawn from independent studies that demonstrate the superiority of one formula over another, the price differences between various products are related to advertising investments rather than quality”.
Neonatologists against the formula milk bonus: “Penalize breastfeeding”
by Fiammetta Cupellaro
There are several mechanisms that allow you to influence the results obtained. “Artificial formulas are often not compared to the gold standard of early life nutrition, which is breast milk,” he echoes. Costantino Panza, pediatrician of the Acp “or the authors modify the results of the study to bring out the most favorable ones, they seek results that are not significant for the patient’s well-being or include only data relating to some subgroups of participants”.
Studies of this type contribute to slowing down the spread of breastfeeding: in Italy, infants breastfed exclusively at 4-5 months of age – according to Epicentro data for 2019 – are less than a quarter of births, with significant differences between regions, and small numbers in particular in the south. “Today, when leaving maternity wards, many mothers are breastfeeding, then the percentages drop, and they are far from the indications of the WHO which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life”, confirms Luigi Orfeo, president of the Italian Society of Neonatology (SIN), which just recently spoke out against the “artificial milk bonus” decided by the government.
Breast milk, nourishment and shield against Covid-19
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“We have always spoken out in favor of breastfeeding, but there are situations in which artificial milk is necessary, and it is important to have quality products”, recalls Orfeo, “many mothers find themselves alone, in difficulty for the absence of adequate safeguards that make it possible to reconcile work with motherhood “. As far as research is concerned, “what is written in the study corresponds in part to the truth but must be interpreted: not all studies are of a good standard but the industry plays an important role in promoting research”, underlines the president of Sin.
Longform
Covid: you can continue to breastfeed
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Even if the objective of the companies is above all to promote their products: “To do independent research you need a basic political strategy, which identifies priorities and resources. Until the rulers realize that we need to invest much more, we will not get out of it. “, warns Conti Nibali. “Unfortunately, the critical reading of scientific evidence, that is, evidence-based medicine, is little taught in degree and specialization courses, many doctors rely on unscientific guidelines and on the information provided by scientific representatives, or in medical conferences whose cost is borne by the drug or medical device industry, ”notes Panza. Also for this reason, the ACP has created journal clubs in various provinces where groups of pediatricians from the association study and practice evidence-based medicine, and publishes critical reports from many studies in its own journal to help pediatricians make correct decisions.
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