Hi Cabot, I'm glad you found the links helpful. 

You asked in your last post:

"Why is baby’s formula pushed so hard when the research is out there that
breastfeeding baby’s is so much better?  Is society so consumed by greed and
the almighty dollar that we would sacrifice our children’s health?  Or could
it be that many people like to take the easy out because feeding a baby
formula is easier than breastfeeding."

Unfortunately, the short answer is that yes, "the almighty dollar" has a lot
to do with why breastfeeding rates are as low as they are. The infant
formula industry is a multi-billion dollar industry with lots of money to
spend on marketing. Two books that have some good information on this
subject are "The Politics of Breastfeeding" by Gabrielle Palmer, and "Milk
Money and Madness: The Culture and Politics of Breastfeeding" by M.D., Naomi
Baumslag and Dia L. Michels. 

As to the second part of your question, formula feeding is NOT easier than
breastfeeding (what could be easier than lifting your shirt and latching
your baby on?). People have been made to think that formula feeding is
"easier" due to the marketing done by formula companies. 

The role of formula companies in the decline of breastfeeding is a big
topic, and a very important one. Breastfeeding is the main competitor for
formula companies, and the formula companies  have done an amazing job of
making formula feeding the "norm". There was a recent article in the
Washington Post about how formula companies successfully lobbied the Health
and Human Services Department in the US to tone down their proposed ad
campaign about the risks of not breastfeeding. (Below is a link to the story):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/30/AR2007083002198.html?nav=rss_poli)

The WHO code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes is also very important
when talking about formula marketing. The link below has a lot of good info:

http://www.infactcanada.ca/Int_Code_TOC.htm

Below are a few more links that might be helpful:

http://www.infactcanada.ca/Newsletters/2007-Winter/inner_workings.htm

http://www.infactcanada.ca/Newsletters/2007-Winter/wic_promoting_infant_formula.htm

http://banthebags.org/

I could go on and on, but I'll leave it there for now. :)

Fleur Bickford RN, LLLL

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