Milk formula firms target women looking for pregnancy advice

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by Jacob Solomon Nov 27, 2022 News
Milk formula firms target women looking for pregnancy advice

Women trying for a baby are being targeted by formula milk companies on social media even before they become pregnant.

The World Health Organization's department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health says that formula milk brands use online shopping and search data to detect when someone is planning a baby.

He told the Unicef Baby Friendly annual conference that the industry is more powerful because of digital platforms. Women whose online behavior suggests they might be pregnant are targeted with ads.

First-time pregnant women are described as the holy grail by formula milk marketers.

Women who ordered Folic acid or browsed fertility or pregnancy information websites were likely to be profiled as thinking about starting a family, according to Rollins.

Formula milk brands could target these women by promoting branded social media posts, including those for their own apps, online "baby clubs" or helplines that offer advice on getting pregnant, staying healthy during pregnancy or parenting.

The UK forbids direct advertising of formula milk to parents of babies under six months old, but loopholes allow companies to give advice to pregnant women and new parents.

The ultimate goal was to establish a relationship between the parent and the brand before the baby is born, according to Rollins. He said that it is a way of providing support but it is also a way of marketing.

There should be no criticism of mothers who used formula milk. Women and families have the right to make their own decisions.

It was difficult to avoid digital marketing of formula milk, especially when people were looking online for information about or support for breastfeeding, according to a WHO report.

Companies were targeting pregnant women and new mothers in their most vulnerable moments.

It said that at the very moment a woman seeks information on infant feeding, it can be delivered.

According to the report, the content of these promotions typically presents a breast milk substitute as the solution for challenging but normal infant behaviors.

Shereen Fisher is the programme director of the UK committee for Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative. All babies and parents need to be protected from deceptive marketing practices.

The only food recognised by the WHO as a suitable and safe alternative to breastfeeding is a scientifically developed infant formula.

Parents need to be aware of the options that are right for their baby. Parents need factual nutrition information on packaging and online so that they can make the right choice for them. We take it very seriously.

BSNA members comply with the WHO code and want to contribute to a balanced, sensible debate about responsible marketing of formula and protecting and promoting breastfeeding.