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Catholics Organize Mothers Into Breastfeeding Group After Tainted-milk Reports

Updated: October 10, 2008 05:25 AM GMT
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Catholic women in the southern Philippines have organized mothers into a breastfeeding group after hearing reports that Chinese babies died from drinking melamine-contaminated milk. pr_davao_city_1.gifIn early September, Philippine media reported that thousands of babies suffered severe illness and some of them died after drinking milk containing the industrial chemical. Melamine is a nitrogen-rich white powder used in plastic, floor tiles, cooking utensils and other products, reports a primer posted on the website of the U.S.-based International Food Information Council Foundation. Imelda Sipaco, a 24-year-old mother of three, hosted 37 women in her home in Davao City on Oct. 6 to outline initial activities of their new group Gikan sa Inahan, Alang sa Anak (from mother to child), formed a week earlier. Davao lies 965 kilometers southeast of Manila. During the meeting, Doctor Dennis Ramasa of the City Health Office lectured on melamine and Cynthia Gripo, a nurse with the NGO Kalusugan Alang sa Bayan (health for the nation), spoke on breastfeeding. The women learned that high levels of melamine have caused bladder stones in animal testing. When combined with cyanuric acid, which may also be present in crude melamine powder, it can form crystals that reportedly can produce kidney stones in humans. Jalaliah Pandi, 27, a Muslim lawyer and mother of two, told UCA News at the meeting that she and her friend Sipaco became alarmed after learning of the tragic incidents in China. "The safety of our children is of utmost importance," Pandi said. "That is why we need to push for breastfeeding after this melamine scare." Carrying her 1-month-old daughter Kristelle, Sipaco said she has breastfed all her children and believes this is why they have not "suffered any ailments since they were born." Her other children are now 9 and 7 years old. Colostrum, a thick, yellowish substance produced with mother´s milk, provides antibodies that help protect babies from infection, Gripo had explained. Pandi told UCA News she "enjoys" breastfeeding her 3-month-old baby, Jamiah. When she works, she pumps her milk in the evenings and stores it for the baby to drink the following day. Davao archdiocese serves Davao City and parts of Davao del Norte province. Roughly 70 percent of the 1,937,358 people in the area are Catholics and the rest are mostly other Christians and Muslims. There are scattered communities of indigenous people holding native beliefs. Sister Maria Paterna Bitas of the Teresian Daughters of Mary told UCA News on Oct. 6 that the archdiocesan community outreach program promotes breastfeeding. It has reiterated its call for mothers to breastfeed their babies after reports of melamine contamination in China circulated in the archdiocesan area, added the nun, an organizer of the program. "We always tell mother-beneficiaries that breastfeeding is cost-efficient and healthy," she said. Gikan member Rosa Gadii, a 22-year-old mother from the indigenous Mandaya tribe, shared that her sister spends at least 860 pesos (US$18) monthly for her 5-month old infant´s milk. "I breastfed all my five children," Gadii told UCA News, describing herself as "blessed" in being able to produce enough milk. The nursing mothers at their meeting agreed to monitor supermarkets and meet managers to ensure they do not sell melamine-tainted products. They also planned to campaign among working mothers, urging them to breastfeed their babies. In addition, they planned to meet with religious and community leaders to seek support for their campaign. In Manila on Oct. 3, the Bureau of Food and Drugs banned China-made Greenfood Yili Fresh Milk Drink and Mengniu Drink, both found to contain melamine. The bureau´s Oct. 7 update reported that traces of melamine were also found in one-liter cartons of Jolly Cow Slender Hi-Calcium Low-Fat Milk. That product also is imported from China. The update advises consumers "not to purchase or consume" the products it has listed as containing melaminine. It said the bureau is continuously collecting samples of imported milk products from the local market to test them for the chemical. END

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