I wrote to a popular organic yogurt company and questioned their partnership with a Mead Johnson sponsored Ped site.  Does anyone have positive info on Dr. Greene that would help me to soften my opinion of this company? His site seems typical and formula sponsored, it is www.drgreene.com

from the company:
To address your concerns, we contacted Dr. Greene with some of your concerns and received the following reply from his office:

1) Dr. Greene is a HUGE breastfeeding advocate.  In fact DrGreene.com has been accused of not having enough information on our site for moms who cannot breast feed. Dr. Greene goes to great lengths to encourage moms to stick with breastfeeding if at all possible. Unlike most pediatricians, he supports tandem nursing (continuing to breastfeed one child while pregnant with the next). He urges women to nurse until at least the baby's first birthday, and encourages nursing to age 2 and beyond. He does not, though, believe that women who have stopped nursing should be made to feel guilty. And he strongly believes that any baby who receives formula, for whatever reason, deserves the highest quality formula possible. Modeled after breast milk.

2) We do work with Mead Johnson.  Dr. Greene consults for them (teaching them about nutrition-he would love for them to make organic formula) and is sponsored by them to speak about a half dozen times a year. These are talks he would still want to give, even if he was independently wealthy and never had to work (though he would love not to have Mead Johnson sponsor them). When he does speak, he gives a strong, passionate breastfeeding message (as above) and challenges formula companies to push forward with modeling formulas more after breast milk so that babies who do get formula get the best possible. 

3) In 1996 Dr. Greene  began his campaign to bring the best possible formula to babies who could not nurse.  His research lead him to the conclusion that there are several nutrients in breast milk that needed to be added formula -- these include DHA, ARA (both  improve brain function and eye sight), Lysozyme (which has a strong influence on the type of bacteria that inhabit the intestinal tract), and Lactoferrin (which has a direct antibiotic effect on bacteria such as staphylococci and E. coli).   Most doctors do not get nutrition training in medical school or residency, so this information is not common knowledge to doctors.   Dr. Greene  immediately began calling for formula manufacturers to add these -- again, for babies who can not nurse (see http://www.drgreene.com/21_552.html written June 21, 1996).     
 The World Health Organization strongly advocates breastfeeding.  Nonetheless, the World Health Organization, like Dr. Greene, has called for DHA and ARA to be added to infant formula at the levels found in breast milk, for the benefit of those babies who can not breastfeed.    
 In 2000, Mead Johnson became the first US company to add DHA and ARA to their formula.  Mead Johnson uses  the amounts recommended by the World Health Organization and the same levels that are found in moms' breast milk.  Dr. Greene has been working with Mead Johnson to help educate doctors and parents about the need for these ingredients in formula. He has spoken to groups of physician and nurses and has been interviewed on radio and television about the subject.  
 None of the content on DrGreene.com was commissioned or sponsored by Mead Johnson.  In fact, they invited him to be their spokesperson BECAUSE of what he had already written. 
 We are pleased to be able to work with Mead Johnson.  They have shown incredible responsibility, especially in the area of breastfeeding support.  Dr. Greene has always been and continues to be a breastfeeding advocate.  But when it is not possible to breastfeed, he believes babies should have the best possible  infant formula to meet their nutritional demands.  
 When these children are old enough to eat dairy products, they should be eating the best possible yogurt.  Many parents believe all yogurt is the same -- it's all good for their kids.  Dr. Greene wants to help educate parents so they will understand that organic yogurt, made with live active culture is the best for their kids.  That is why we have joined forces with Stonyfield Farm. 

Mirine Dye
Childbirth and Lactation Educator in the Fab Fla Keys
******************************************************************
 www.keysmama.org
 


             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html