The state of the Innocenti Declaration targets in Italy

If Italy is to meet the operational targets of the Innocenti Declaration, there will need to be changes in the way that breastfeeding is not only promoted but also protected and supported. During the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week in October 2000, a resolution was passed in the parliamentary Commissione per l'infanzia (Commission on Childhood) that committed the government to promoting, protecting, and supporting breastfeeding in a more active manner; to including breastfeeding as a health indicator; and to establishing national and regional goals for breastfeeding prevalence and duration. A next step that must be taken by the government is that of creating a national committee to coordinate the work. Progress toward accrediting a baby-friendly hospital needs to continue and must use the international standards as criteria. Recent action taken by the Ministry of Health and the court system is promising; however, full compliance of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes should be a goal for Italy and the rest of the European Union. The one area in which Italy seems to have fulfilled all of its obligations is the one concerning "imaginative legislation"; however, this shows that although legislative protection is important, it is not enough to ensure breastfeeding success.