PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Thursday expressed concerns over what they called unethical promotional tactics adopted by the manufacturers of the baby milk formulas and asked people to ensure that their babies received mother-milk because it protected them from host of ailments.

The seminar was organised at Hayatabad Medical Complex by Pakistan Paediatrics Association to mark World Breastfeeding Week. The child specialists called upon people to encourage breastfeeding so that mothers and their newborn babies could be saved from diseases.

Prof Abdul Hameed, former head of child health department at Khyber Teaching Hospital, was chief guest on the occasion.Prof Shehzad Akbar Khan, Prof Gohar Rehman, Dr Sabir Khan and others addresse d the seminar.

The speakers said that Pakistan imported infant milk worth $40 million every year which was highest in the world. They said that more than 160 manufacturers were aggressively campaigning to capture market for their products by arguing that those mill( formulas were substitute to mother milk.

They said that the claim was wrong.

`We should promote a culture of breastfeeding to keep a host of ailments away from the mothers and their babies. Breastfeeding is equally good for the health of mothers and babies. Only a healthy mother can give birth to a healthy baby,` said the speakers.

They said that Pakistan had the highest infant mortality rate in the world due to excessive use of baby milk formulas. They said that bottle-feeding caused diarrhoealdiseases and inflicted infection on the newborn babies. On contrary, the milk of mother kept children safe from infections and ensured healthier future for them, they added.

The experts said that the country had abundant human resources but only need was to change the thinking of the people towards tackling health problems. They said that countries like Bangladesh had reduced infant diseases almost by 50 per cent owing to promotion of breastfeeding and hand washing practices.

The child specialist said that motivation of community, teamwork and services of doctors, nurses and lady health workers could play important role in promoting breast feeding among mothers. They said that bottle-fed babies were vulnerable to infections. They added that 1,000 infants died every month in the country due to malnutrition.