Published on The Jakarta Post (http://www.thejakartapost.com)
Commentary: Breast is best: The one milk sure to be clean and healthy-->-->
Emmy Fitri , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta Fri, 09/26/2008 10:56 AM Headlines

Our hearts go out to the babies in China who have died from or been made ill by the prolonged consumption of tainted formula milk. Likewise our deepest sympathy for the moms and dads who must deal with the unbearable losses and blows.
What happened in China is perhaps one of the most harrowing such dramas the world has ever seen: Thousands of children, mostly under two years old, have fallen ill with kidney problems with four deaths already blamed on the toxic milk.
The sheer magnitude of the tainted formula milk powder scandal puts it beyond past rackets China has had with toxic chemicals lacing goods from toys to candies, which have contributed to shaky global trust in China's products, which are everywhere, sprawling across supermarket shelves and stalls in traditional markets.
At home, apart from the China-related products, Indonesia too has seen several -- and repeated -- cases of toxic food, such as the use of formaldehyde, dyes and sodium borate in processed meat products, and even the sale of rotten meat. Although those cases upset the public and slowed down business for mostly medium to small traders, the scandals did not last long, as people would gradually forget about them when the television stopped airing the news and newspapers were thrown into garbage bins.
But take a quick trip back to February this year, when a scientific paper published by researchers from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture aroused public anxiety because it revealed that several brands of formula milk and baby food were contaminated with Enterobacter sakazakii, a dangerous bacteria that attacks the brain and digestion system and in severe cases can lead to death.
The Health Ministry protested against the disclosure for unknown reasons; the one thing that was clear was that the ministry was not pleased with the researchers for announcing such sensitive findings to the public without consulting with the ministry first.
In a defiant response, the ministry ordered the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to open an investigation into the matter. The end result was predictable: No infant milk products -- those named by the researchers -- were found to be contaminated with Enterobacter sakazakii, which, by the way, pediatricians say does not harm healthy babies.
The conflicting announcements by the leading agriculture institute and the government brought about nothing but public confusion. Whether or not the government and the researchers were doing the right thing, in relation to the case of alleged bacteria-tainted formula milk, it is all passe.
The government's nonchalant reaction to the announcement, however, did lead to a suspicion the government was standing by the companies that produce formula milk.
And now what lesson should Indonesian parents -- and more importantly the government -- learn from the painful blow China has been dealt? Or are there any lessons to learn at all?
The BPOM recently announced it has ordered the withdrawal of Chinese-made dairy products from the shelves on suspicion of melamine contamination. A laboratory investigation is, hopefully, underway and the public can relax once the findings are announced. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
That is the most reasonable way to respond, but even better would be for parents to return to best practice, a legacy from our ancestors. Our babies are not born to cows. They should not be fed cow's milk, especially when it's mixed with toxic chemicals.
And if the government has the courage to maintain its stance on the health sector, which could see it fall out of favor with the big corporate formula milk producers, they should seize the moment to endorse the best feeding practices -- including breast-feeding.
International Breastfeeding Week was in August. In Indonesia, with nearly 45 percent of its population living under the poverty line, breast-feeding babies is often the sole option.
Studies have shown that breast milk saves lives and is the best gift a mother could ever give to her children (which doesn't mean we are to blame mothers who can't breast-feed their babies for health reasons).
Breast-feeding is good because of its guaranteed cleanliness, and even babies from poor families, who run the risk of being undernourished or suffering from malnutrition, can enjoy healthy growth if they are breast-fed.
To breast-feed or not to breast-feed should not be the question anymore. It is only breast-feed.
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