ArticlePublic health nutrition2016
Global trends and patterns of commercial milk-based formula sales: is an unprecedented infant and young child feeding transition underway?
Article in Public health nutrition, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03208114 (Does the Information on Breast Milk Substitutes at Hospital Discharge Affect Breastfeeding Behavior at Six Months? A Randomized Controlled Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 93 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Does the Information on Breast Milk Substitutes at Hospital Discharge Affect Breastfeeding Behavior at Six Months? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
93 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 177 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Different Proportions of DHA and ARA on Cognitive Development in Infants: A Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Outcomes of implementing the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes as national laws: a systematic review.International breastfeeding journal · 2024Pooled it
- Individual, Family, and Socioeconomic Contributors to Dental Caries in Children from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Timing of Cow's Milk or Cow's Milk Formula Introduction to the Infant Diet and Atopic Risk in Children: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2020Pooled it
- Improving Breastfeeding by Empowering Mothers in Vietnam: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Mobile App.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Trial
- Determinants of breastfeeding discontinuation in an Italian cohort of mother-infant dyads in the first six months of life: a randomized controlled trial.Italian journal of pediatrics · 2018Trial
- Gender-just reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in maternity care services through the 'baby- friendly hospital initiative': a scoping review.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Article
- Exploring the Experiences of Families Impacted by the 2022 Commercial Milk Formula (CMF) Food Insecurity Crisis in the United States of America: A Scoping Review.Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association · 2026Article
- Tiny Tummies, Big Questions: Unpacking Ultra-Processed Ingredients and Additives in Complementary Foods in the United States.Nutrients · 2026Article
- Evaluation of safety and health risk characterization of some baby foods in Ghana.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Comparative Analysis of Breastfeeding and Infant Formulas: Short- and Long-Term Impacts on Infant Nutrition and Health.Food science & nutrition · 2025Review
- Breast-milk substitute marketing practices in four countries: an analysis using a community-based approach.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
- Economic and environmental impacts of commercial milk formula in Indonesia: estimates and comparisons using the Cost of Not Breastfeeding, Green Feeding, and Mothers' Milk Tools.International breastfeeding journal · 2025Article
- Variation of continued breastfeeding by age of the child among children aged 12-23 months: evidence from 21 sub-Saharan African countries.Nutrition & metabolism · 2025Article
- An economic evaluation on sub-optimal breastfeeding in Hong Kong: Infant health outcomes and costs.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2025Article
- Consumption frequency of ultra-processed foods and beverages among 6- to 36-month-olds in Kampala, Uganda.Maternal & child nutrition · 2025Article
- Addressing Infant and Young Child Feeding Recommendations From a Planetary Health Perspective.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2024Review
- Article
- Research on commercial milk formulas for young children: A scoping review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Article
- The effect of the implementation of the international code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes on child mortality in Ghana and Tanzania.Public health nutrition · 2024Article
33 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe marketing of infant/child milk-based formulas (MF) contributes to suboptimal breast-feeding and adversely affects child and maternal health outcomes globally. However, little is known about recent changes in MF markets. The present study describes contemporary trends and patterns of MF sales at the global, regional and country levels.
designDescriptive statistics of trends and patterns in MF sales volume per infant/child for the years 2008-2013 and projections to 2018, using industry-sourced data.
settingEighty countries categorized by country income bracket, for developing countries by region, and in countries with the largest infant/child populations. SUBJECTS: MF categories included total (for ages 0-36 months), infant (0-6 months), follow-up (7-12 months), toddler (13-36 months) and special (0-6 months).
resultsIn 2008-2013 world total MF sales grew by 40·8 % from 5·5 to 7·8 kg per infant/child/year, a figure predicted to increase to 10·8 kg by 2018. Growth was most rapid in East Asia particularly in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam and was led by the infant and follow-up formula categories. Sales volume per infant/child was positively associated with country income level although with wide variability between countries.
conclusionsA global infant and young child feeding (IYCF) transition towards diets higher in MF is underway and is expected to continue apace. The observed increase in MF sales raises serious concern for global child and maternal health, particularly in East Asia, and calls into question the efficacy of current regulatory regimes designed to protect and promote optimal IYCF. The observed changes have not been captured by existing IYCF monitoring systems.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.