The Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) is developing guidelines on child nutrition with the "support" of GlaxoSmithKline , which manufactures some of the biggest brands in health drinks targeted at children. Several paediatricians have raised the issue of obvious conflict of interest in partnering with GSK to draw up guidelines and a training module on child nutrition.

Incidentally, GSK has for four years running been held guilty by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) of running misleading ads making nutritional claims about its health drinks that are “not adequately and scientifically substantiated”.

"Integrated Management of Paediatric Nutrition in India through Consensus and Training (IMPACT) — An IAP initiative supported by GSK" was held on June 6 at a Delhi hotel. Nutritionists and paediatricians from across the country were invited by IAP to participate in “a preliminary braining storming meeting” to decide the road map to finalise consensus guidelines. Over 30 persons attended the meeting.

IMPACT was described by IAP in its emails to invitees as a first of its kind initiative to formulate “Consensus Guidelines on Nutrition of Children in India and Role of Micro and Macro Nutrients". Once formulated, these would be published for the benefit of all paediatricians and also be utilised for continuing medical education (CME) or training programmes across India.

Dr Anupam Sachdev, who convened the meeting, told TOI that it was only a preliminary meeting and that the issue of conflict of interest would be reviewed. However, IAP president SS Kamat, who attended the meeting, claimed that no guidelines were being drawn up as a small group of paediatricians could not decide guidelines on a vast issue like nutrition. He added that he did not believe there was any conflict of interest as IAP had merely taken an “academic grant” from GSK and was not promoting any specific product of the company.

Ironically, the quarterly IAP Bulletin of January-March 2011 carried a resolution on commercial nutrition supplements adopted in the IAP annual general body meeting held in January 2011 which spelt out IAP’s strong objection to advertisements of commercial nutrition supplements including various health drinks with exaggerated claims of their nutritional, growth and other benefits. The resolution recognised that television and other advertising influenced children’s consumption patterns and requested companies to withdraw these advertisements with immediate effect.

Prof HPS Sachdev, senior consultant in paediatrics and clinical epidemiology, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science, who attended IMPACT, questioned how a group supported by a nutraceutical manufacturer promoting its products to children could formulate guidelines on child nutrition.

Dr JP Dadhich, of Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI), who was also present, said, “The GSK name was on the folders, banners and posters and it would be the same in training workshops on nutrition across the country for paediatricians. Even saying that regular food cannot tackle micronutrient deficiency adequately (if the guidelines do so), is a good enough outcome for a health drinks company which claims to have added micronutrients in its health drinks.”