YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 13, NOYAN TAPAN. There is no laboratory in Armenia to examine the contests of milk formulas sold in drugstores and baby food points to be used instead of breast milk. NT correspondent was informed about it from Susanna Harutyunian, Director of the Vstahutyun (Confidence) health orhanization. According to her, it is no secret that producers of milk formulas in other countries try to sell their production in every possible way in order to get superprofits. In the US the annual sale of artificial baby milk reaches about 11 billion USD. In the words of S. Harutyunian, according to the instructions on the label of baby teas of Hipp brand name, these teas can be given to babies of 1 week and above. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), no tea should be given to babies under 1 year. "Tea is poison for babies of this age," S. Harutyunian noted. She said that milk formulas based on genetically modified organisms may cause harm to babies. In her words, recently an American organization sent soya-based milk formulas to Armenia and suggested to distribute them free of charge to babies fed with milk formulas. However, Armenian experts, including S. Harutyunian, proved that soya-based milk formulas are especially harmful to boys because they may increase female hormons in their blood. Doctors advise to feed babies under 6 months with breast milk only. According to the WHO, the encouragement and spread of breast feeding may save lives of 1.5 million children annually. Karmela Poghosian, Co-ordinator of the National Program on Encouragement of Breast Feeding, said that breast milk is preferable to any food given to children. Babies fed with breast milk tend to become ill with fewer ilnesses, have better cognative and mental development, etc. In 2005, the index of feeding with breast milk only made 70.8% in Armenia against 20-25% in 1993.

---