Online marketing pushes unhealthy feeding of children

While breast milk is the best nutrition for babies, mothers may be influenced by online advertisements to unnecessarily change to formula milk instead. — TNS

Digital marketing of formula milk and commercial baby foods is linked to unhealthy parental feeding practices, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Global Health.

Mums exposed to extensive digital marketing were less likely to exclusively breastfeed within the first six months of baby’s life and more likely to give their children processed foods and sugary drinks, the findings show.