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Following the exposure of the paediatricians arrested for bribery in Tuscany, (see below) the local Minister of Health yesterday signed a protocol with UNICEF for the promotion of BFH-BFC I and gave as a present to all the directors of the sanitary districts in the region a copy of Codice Violato (the Italian BTR).

IBFAN Italia hopes that this will make health workers more sensitive to the protection of breastfeeding.

Here is the link to the news in italian:

Italy arrests doctors suspected of taking bribes to discourage breast feeding

ROME Fri Nov 21, 2014 11:09am EST

(Reuters) – Italian police put 12 pediatricians under house arrest on Friday for allegedly accepting extravagant gifts from makers of baby milk formula to promote it in place of breastfeeding.

Police have been investigating “a common and widespread practice” in which pediatricians “prescribe baby milk formula to newborns in exchange for bribes in the form of luxury gifts and costly holidays”, a statement said.

Two of the doctors put under arrest were chief pediatricians in hospitals, the statement said. Five sales representatives for three different companies and one executive were also under house arrest, police said, without giving names.

The sales representatives “contacted the pediatricians to urge them to prescribe baby formula to newborns, going against unanimous scientific opinion on the need to promote the use of mother’s milk”, the police statement said.

more.….

Here are links to some of the many media stories:

1.http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-italy-breastmilk-arrests-idUSKCN0J51TZ20141121

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