Marsha, may I forward your post to the ABM ethics comittee? - It relates to 
a discussion we were having.

Gail
Gail S. Hertz, MD, IBCLC
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2010 9:04 AM
Subject: Formula company macinations


Marie has again mentioned Abbott's "expert" feeding line. This relationship 
between infant formula companies and intermediaries is truly disturbing. 
Another example is the infant feeding information at WebMD which is 
completely sponsored by Gerber (Nestle). I wrote the following note to a 
wonderful blog, PhD in Parenting at www.phdinparenting.com which has 
discussed these relationships, specifically Babble.com's selling out to 
Abbott. Both the blog and my note below mention actions to take. I am 
extremely concerned about the safety of the information being provided at 
Babble.com and WebMD as well as the safety and quality of advice being 
dispensed by Life Care employees.


Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA



It is certainly disappointing to see that Babble.com has succumbed to the 
tantalizing efforts of Abbott to engage others in its drive to cause more 
mothers to purchase Similac formula products. When a mother calls the phone 
number provided by Abbott she reaches Life Care, a company who has also been 
duped into marketing infant formula for Abbott. The person a mother reaches 
is not an IBCLC, but an employee who has taken an on-line course in 
breastfeeding. IBCLCs do not work for formula companies because it presents 
a conflict of interest. Therefore, mothers are being mislead into thinking 
that the help with breastfeeding that they will receive is being provided by 
someone credentialed to do so. I am concerned that a mother will receive 
inappropriate information for a situation that is truly serious and suffer 
an adverse outcome. Risky business. Babble.com places mothers and babies at 
risk for referring mothers to a resource that may not be qualified to 
deliver the advertised services in a safe manner.
Abbott and other formula companies have escalated their marketing campaigns 
due to dropping birth rates and more mothers breastfeeding. You can see more 
of this type of marketing at WedMD, whose infant feeding section is 
completely sponsored by Gerber (Nestle). The co-opting of infant feeding 
information on the web by formula companies is worrisome. Formula companies 
provide breastfeeding information as a mechanism to whitewash their image 
and sell more of their product, not as a community service.
If a mother needs help with breastfeeding she can contact the US Lactation 
Consultant Association’s website at http://www.uslca.org to find an IBCLC 
credentialed lactation consultant near her.
If we wish to help the intermediaries refrain from providing inappropriate 
and potentially damaging information ask Babble to stop peddling formula for 
Abbott, ask WebMD to stop peddling formula for Nestle. You can also consider 
reporting Life Care to the Connecticut state attorney general’s office and 
Abbott to the Illinois state attorney general’s office. Complaints can also 
be sent to the Better Business Bureau in Connecticut and Illinois.







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