As far as we know, there are already four dead babies because of the adulterated powdered milk in China with melamine, an artificial resin used to make plastics.
There are 6,200 affected, 1300 children hospitalized, 158 with kidney stones and it is possible that the number will increase as babies are being treated in the queues of hospitals in the arms of their parents in full collective psychosis.
The scandal of contaminated milk highlights two very serious issues:
On the one hand, the lack of stricter controls for products sold to the public, especially when it comes to food and especially when it comes to baby food. Without forgetting the risk of toys, a high percentage of Chinese children contain an excessively high level of lead (used in toy making).
On the other hand, the poor awareness of breastfeeding That Chinese women have.
The breastfeeding rate is around 70% and the government admits that efforts to promote it have been left behind versus the fierce advertising campaign of dairy companies that "sell the motorcycle" to parents.
It is not the first time that there is a scandal with infant milk. In 2004, more than 200 Chinese children suffered from malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed with artificial milk that actually contained no nutrients.
Many families bought the bottles of adulterated milk because of its low price, but if the authorities reported that giving the tit is free and much more nutritious, and certainly much safer for their babies, powdered milk would not be so demanded.
The authorities have ordered national inspection plans for dairy products. It is necessary that they do so, but also that they reinforce the information campaigns on breastfeeding for pregnant women and in maternity so that women are convinced of the benefits of breast milk.
At least, I hope that the unfair deaths of Chinese babies will lead to reflection. There can never be anything better for a baby than breast milk.
