I can certainly commiserate with Kathleen and Alexis regarding this bill not
making it out of committee. However, I am not surprised. I feel that this
might be a bit premature and that there are a number of other approaches to
reduce the commercial barriers to breastfeeding in the US. AB 2447 is
actually not the first time that formula marketing has been challenged in the
US. In June of 1981, an administrative petition was filed to the FDA and DHHS
entitled, "Petition to Alleviate Domestic Infant Formula Misuse and Provide
Informed Infant Feeding Choice." This resulted in testimony given at House
subcommittee meetings but no substantive changes in curbing the unethical
marketing practices that continue today.

If any of you are interested in working with NABA on forming strategies,
please e-mail or call me at 781 893-3553. This is one of the reasons NABA is
conducting the Code training workshop in May and is widelydistributing our
country report Selling Out Mothers and Babies which details the marketing
asault on mothers and the health care system.

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard on this project. Be proud of
what you have done. We learn from set backs which also help educate those we
are trying to influence. Kathleen, I fear I will be championing the Code and
this issue for a long time to come but I am in such good company that it
makes me want to try all the harder!

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC

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