16. Breastfeeding is a powerful influence on child survival and development and prevention of child malnutrition. It provides optimal nutrition for young infants, reducing the incidence and severity of infectious diseases and contributing to obesity prevention. Breastfed babies are protected from illnesses through the mother’s antibodies, while those who are not are exposed to increased chances of malnutrition, non-communicable diseases and suboptimal cognitive development. In addition, infant formula and other breast milk substitutes can cause poor growth or illness if water quality and hygiene standards are not met.
17. One of the major obstacles to breastfeeding is the misleading marketing by baby food companies of breast milk substitutes and the lack of corporate accountability for the adverse consequences of such abuses.
| Year | 2016 |
| Topic | Food policy |
| Document Type | Special Reports |
| Country | N/A |
| Policy Area | Food marketing regulations Industry interference Food and nutrition security Breastfeeding |
| Human Rights | Right to health Right to adequate food and nutrition Business and human rights |
| Groups Affected | Children and adolescents |
Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Interim Report on the right to food, A/71/282, (2016). Par. 16, 17. Available at: https://undocs.org/A/71/282
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