"Being able to donate breast milk to those little precious premies is something I hope to be able to do for as long as possible."
Helene (breastmilk donor) Moullie Point
"It cost me nothing and took just a bit of my time. More importantly, I was saving a life, a little baby's life."
Helen P (breastmilk donor) - Cape Town
"I highly recommend donating breastmilk. Knowing that breastmilk may help to take these babies out of harms way definitely gave me a feeling of fulfillment."
Kariema (breastmilk donor) - Cape Town
"When Milk Matters told me that preemies needed just 50ml a day to survive and I was feeding my son breastmilk all day long, I wanted to help and knew I could."
Helen (breastmilk donor) - University Estate
The WHO/ UNICEF International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
Member States of the World Health Organization adopted the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes twenty-five years ago with the aim of protecting, promoting and supporting appropriate infant and young child feeding practices.
The adoption of the Code was a key milestone in global efforts to improve breastfeeding.
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, now adapted to be The Mother and Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was launched by UNICEF and WHO in 1991.
During this time, evidence for the health advantages of breastfeeding and recommendations for practice has continued to increase. Member States of the World Health Organization can now say with full confidence that breastfeeding reduces child mortality and has health benefits that extend into adulthood. On a population-basis, exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is the recommended feeding mode for the vast majority of children, followed by continued breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods for two years and beyond.
The aim of the Code is:
…to contribute to the provision of safe and adequate nutrition for infants, by the protection and promotion of breastfeeding and by the proper use of breastmilk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate information and through appropriate marketing and distribution.
The main Provisions included in the Code of Breastmilk Marketing:
- No advertising of breastmilk substitutes
- No free samples of breastmilk substitutes to mothers
- No promotion of products through health care facilities
- No company representatives to advise mothers
- No gifts or personal samples to health workers
- No words or pictures idealizing artificial feeding, including pictures of infants, on labels of the products
- Information to health workers should be scientific and factual
- All information on artificial feeding, including the labels, should explain the benefits of breastfeeding and the costs and hazards associated with artificial feeding.
- Unsuitable products, such as sweetened condensed milk, should not be promoted for babies
- All products should be of high quality and take into account the climatic and storage conditions of the country where they are used.
