Protection of mother's milk and ethics

Introduction In 1981, the World Health Assembly created the International C ode for the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. The WHO standards have be en effective in Brazil since 1988. The purpose of this study was to verify the companies' compliance with these standards, especially to what concern health care professionals. Methods An exploratory research Ir as carried out in 32 cities, interviewin g 95 health professional. Results Here we describe results of interviews with health professionals an d their relationship with companies. Promotion of infant formula through pe diatricians is common, showing evident conflict of interest: financial supp ort they got for their benefits might link their names to the companies (an d the products) that direct or indirectly funded them. There is a conflict of interest each time a secondary intention changes professional attitude ( for example, changing methodology, analysis or type of results to be publis hed)favoring this, instead of a scientific approach. Conclusions Both the Code and the Resolution, gathering several ethical rel ies, are apparently nor sufficient to assess the possible conflict of inter est and to impose ethical limits in the relationship paediatrician-infant f ormula companies. Policies to prefect breastfeeding practices of commercial interest must be reviewed to include ethics.