Weak Breastfeeding Policy Exposes Infants and Young Children to Vulnerabilities of Melamine-toxicity and Other Infant Formula Milk Contamination [posted Oct. 6, 2008]

The Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA) pointed to poor breastfeeding policies as the main culprit that makes infants and young children vulnerable to contaminations present in artificial infant formula, such as the Enterobacter sakazakii and melamine. Madella Santiago, ARCSEA Project Officer, noted that "the melamine-scare is now alarming various sectors of our society. ARCSEA believes this risk could have been minimal for infants up to 24 months old if the government remained steadfast in pushing for exclusive breastfeeding for infants up to six (6) months old and continued breastfeeding up to 24 months."

The Department of Health (DOH) and Malacañang should take more proactive steps to prevent further poisoning of hundreds or even thousands of infants and young children resulting from ingestion of contaminated milk. Santiago further said, "The DOH is currently investigating kidney-related illnesses of babies in a hospital that may have been caused by contaminated milk formulas from China. Secretary Duque confiscated expired milk at a warehouse in Baesa, Quezon City. He also went to the Bureau of Foods and Drugs laboratory to personally supervise the on-going testing of Chinese-made milk products. What ARCSEA is waiting for, however, is a definitive policy advice from DOH urging mothers to rely on breast milk, instead of artificial milk. If, from the onset of the expose of melamine-contaminated artificial milk, DOH called on mothers to resort to breastfeeding their infants up to 24 months old, around 5 million infants and young children would have been taken out of the risk of contamination."