Encouraging news from the RCPCH Council this week:
"Following consideration by RCPCH Council, the College’s policy-making body, the RCPCH has today (Wednesday 13 February) decided to no longer accept any funding from formula milk companies.
The College, which has 19,000 members worldwide, wishes to reiterate the importance of promoting breastfeeding as the best possible method of infant feeding. We have always strongly supported breastfeeding, the promotion of breastfeeding, the provision of advice and support for women, and national policies, practices, and legislation that are conducive to breastfeeding, and we will continue to do so."
As RCPCH considers its remaining relationship with the manufacturers of "specialist" breastmilk substitutes, we encourage the Council and members to continue to look to the overwhelming evidence on the impact of conflicts of interest on clinicians and their practice and to apply both the principles and letter of the Code to its actions.
Congratulations to everyone within and outside of the RCPCH who held the Council to account - and thank you for standing up for babies and their families in the UK and around the world.
Friends of the WHO