THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE CONTENTS OF MILK
FORMULAS USED INSTEAD OF BREAST MILK IN ARMENIA
13-11-2006 14:22:00 | Armenia | Social
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.