Dr. Anna Blair and Dr. Karin Cadwell will be presenting their findings from the paper, Powdered Baby Formula Sold in North America: Assessing the Environmental Impact, at the 2023 Conference of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and European Association of Breastfeeding Medicine.
The study calculated the level of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the production of infant formula consumed in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The authors used international industry data on the ingredients and sales of formula in North America. Standard, Growing Up, Follow-On, and Special formulas in North America together account for a whopping 1,161,932 tons of CO2 equivalent annually. For comparison, a typical passenger vehicle emits just over 5 tons (4.6 metric tons) of CO2 equivalent per year, according to the EPA website.
In addition to this presentation, two informational posters from Healthy Children Project faculty members and colleagues will be on display at the conference. One of the posters is based on a report applying the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) metrics to the United States on a state-by-state basis to determine what is working and where improvement is needed. The other poster is based on the paper, Childhood Obesity and Breastfeeding Rates in Pennsylvania Counties—Spatial Analysis of the Lactation Support Landscape, and shows how availability of lactation support relates to breastfeeding rates and in turn to the prevalence of childhood obesity based on geographic location.
The conference takes place in Split, Croatia from May 11-13, 2023.
Related Online Learning Modules:
Childhood Obesity and Breastfeeding Rates in Pennsylvania Counties—Spatial Analysis of the Lactation Support Landscape
1 contact hours for RN’s, 1.0L CERPs for IBCLCs, 1 contact hours for CLCs.
Assessing the Environmental Impact of Not Breastfeeding
2.5 contact hours for RN’s, 2.50L CERPs for IBCLCs, 2.5 contact hours for CLCs.
For a list of all Healthy Children Project research publications, click here.