Breastfeeding is clearly associated with health benefits for mothers and infants, with research showing breastfeeding world-wide could prevent 820,000 child deaths per year. However, globally less than 50% of babies are breastfed, and the WHO global target of 70% of babies being breastfed for 6 months by 2030 is likely to be missed. Globally, one area that is universally overlooked yet impacts breastfeeding negatively is the marketing of bottle/teats that claim to replicate and replace breastfeeding, claims that have no underpinning scientific evidence to support them. This marketing encourages breastfeeding mothers to combine bottle feeding with breastfeeding, however, the introduction of a bottle to a breastfed baby can lead to reduced breastfeeding duration and early breastfeeding cessation, particularly given that bottle feeding is synonymous with formula milk feeding. This is a global public health issue and directly impacts the UK’s ODA priorities, particularly improving maternal and child health outcomes in LMICs.

Regulations around marketing of bottle/teats has not kept pace with developments, which include bespoke AI generated teats/bottles and algorithm driven online promotion. Globally, the marketing of bottles/teats is based on the WHO Code, which requires advertising around bottles/teats to refrain from suggesting equivalence to breastfeeding, not to ‘idealise’ bottle feeding and to inform purchasers that use of a bottle/teat can negatively impact breastfeeding. The Code is consistently contravened by bottle/teat manufacturers during their advertising, which due to the rise of digital and AI-powered marketing targets LMIC communities with limited access to breastfeeding education. The UK’s ODA could play a pivotal role in strengthening regulations and raising awareness to counteract these trends.

UK ODA could be directed toward training local authorities to regulate bottle and teat marketing in line with the WHO Code and supporting community-level breastfeeding promotion initiatives. These actions would amplify the impact of UK aid by ensuring healthier, more resilient populations. In countries such as Kenya and Bangladesh, unethical bottle (and formula milk) marketing has contributed to declining breastfeeding rates, undermining decades of progress in maternal and child health. However, donor-supported breastfeeding campaigns in these regions have shown that targeted interventions can reverse these trends. The UK could leverage its partnerships with UNICEF and WHO to strengthen enforcement of the WHO Code in recipient countries and work with local NGOs to empower mothers with accurate breastfeeding information.

Misleading marketing of bottles/teats can undermine global breastfeeding rates, which are critical to addressing malnutrition, stunting, and child mortality. Breastfeeding is an equitable and cost-effective intervention in LMICs, saving families the expense of bottles/teats and formula and reducing strain on fragile healthcare systems. Unethical marketing undermines these benefits, perpetuating cycles of poverty and poor health. Taking action would align with the UK’s leadership in achieving the SDGs, particularly by supporting breastfeeding as a critical intervention to reduce child mortality, malnutrition, and gender inequities in LMICs. Unethical bottle marketing exacerbates health inequities in LMICs, where unsafe water and inadequate healthcare increase the risks associated with bottle feeding. Promoting breastfeeding aligns with the UK’s commitment to global health equity and sustainable development.