Gaps in the regulation and oversight of the Breast Milk Substitutes Code in Colombia

Abstract

This review article aimed to analyze the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes in Colombia, as well as its impact on breastfeeding practices. The document is structured into several sections: the introduction, which highlights the importance of breastfeeding and the risks linked to the marketing of substitutes; the methodology, which describes the documentary review approach and sources consulted (national regulations, institutional and international reports, ENSIN surveys, and academic literature); the results, presenting the theoretical synthesis in three categories (regulatory implementation, monitoring and control mechanisms, and impact on breastfeeding); the discussion, which interprets findings and states the author’s theoretical decision; and finally, the conclusions, which summarize the main insights and suggest future directions. The results revealed a partial and outdated regulatory framework, weak monitoring mechanisms, and breastfeeding indicators that showed partial progress but lacked sustainability, with significant regional disparities. The study concludes that Colombia’s main challenge is not the existence of regulation but its lack of updating, effective enforcement, and inter-institutional coordination. Strengthening legislation and consolidating robust monitoring systems are urgent measures to protect breastfeeding.