Infant formulas promise too much

Many infant formulas promise a lot. Several products claim that they help develop the brain, increase immunity and promote children's growth and development, among other things.

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Now a research group led by Imperial College London has looked at whether these promises have any substance to them. The article has recently been published in BMJ.

"Most of the claims about the health-giving and nutritional properties of breast milk substitutes seem to be based on little or no evidence," the research group says.

Claims surrounding these replacement milk products are controversial. They can give the impression that infant formulas are just as good as breast milk, and perhaps even better, without any scientific basis for the claim.

Many breastfeeding mums in Norway

The researchers examined products from 15 countries with different social and economic conditions. Norwegian data are also included.

Norway has a tradition of breastfeeding infants for a long time. Four out of five infants in Norway still receive breast milk when they are six months old, and only two per cent never receive any breast milk (in Norwegian).

Supportive social arrangements and long parental leave contribute to allowing many mothers in Norway to breastfeed. Simpson has contributed data to the new survey. She is happy about the social arrangements. Strict rules for marketing breast milk substitutes mean that advertising doesn't influence how long women in Norway breastfeed according to researcher.

At the same time, some infant formulas make a lot of promises. Norwegian claims maybe not so crazy, but could be better