Ginger,
Your hospital, Le Bonheur Chilren's Medical Center in Memphis, Tennessee is
part of the NACHRI-CDC Pediatric Prevention Network Hospitals. (76 members,
including hospitals in other countries)  One of the Network's goals is to reduce
nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance in children's hospitals.
According to their website, they have completed a series of multi-site
projects.  "These studies have gone beyond the traditional epidemiological methods of
simply reporting infection rates and have crossed into the new model of
interventional epidemiology."
http:www.childrenshospitals.net/nachri/aboutn/cht_ppn.html

Let's go back to the year 2001.  The first reported case of Enterobacter
Sakazakii infection linked to powdered infant formula occurred in Tennessee.  The
infant formula involved was Portagen, a Mead Johnson formula.  The FDA in a
letter to health professionals states, " One study tested milk-based powdered
infant formula products obtained from a number of different countries and found
that E. sakazakii could be recovered from 20 (14%) of 141 samples.(1)" and,
"The majority of cases of E. sakazakii infection reported in the peer-reviewed
literature have described neonates with sepsis, meningitis, or necrotizing
enterocolitis (3-5) as a consequence of the infection, and the case-fatality rate
among infected neonates has been reported to be as high as 33%."
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/inf-ltr3.html

One might project that there is a good possibility that this endeavor by the
VP of Ross Labs might not just be about DHA and AA. There maybe other reasons
that a VP of an infant formula company would come to your particular hospital.
 The NACHRI group of hospitals, which your hospital is a part of, advocates
for children's health.  It also "helps children's hospitals identify and
address market, finance, and regulatory challenges."  NACHRI is also involved in
examining funding priorities in children's health (in regard to research).  This
organization also "provides advocacy in federal policy, information services
on state policies and special projects."

In my opinion there is more to this than just "grand rounds." I think,
Ginger, it is important that you sit through this presentation.  You are a witness.
Witnessing this event--hopefully writing down what was said--is vital.  If
you decide to speak out, great.  But if not, witnessing is just as important.

If you get the opportunity to ask questions, here are some questions I
thought might be interesting. Why has Ross changed its position on the addition of
DHA and AA to infant formula (originally they were opposed to its addition).
Another question might be what studies have been done to prove the safety of
these additives- -other than formula sponsored studies. (Are they using Martek
oils and have these novel oils been proven safe?)  Lastly, you might mention to
him that many IBCLCs, feel that the advertising campaign about these new
additives is directly contributing to lowered initiation and duration rates of
breastfeeding.  Is Ross concerned about this and willing to help redirect the
media blitz?

Good luck, and I hope you will give us an account of what was said at the
Grand Rounds.
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC










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