Hello Ilene,
I will not answer for Marsha Walker on NABA or who is involved.

The WHO Code has been issued by the Code and ratified by the World
Health Assemblies. You can find the text of the Code here

www.who.int/nutrition/publications/code_english.pdf

At the international level, IBFAN is the organization that monitors
code compliance. Code compliance is voluntary except on those
countries where it has been incorporated into the law (such as in
Argentina, but violations are still the norm and the breastfeeding
promotion and support NGOs, including IBFAN and LLL, have a big job
monitoring Code compliance).

Right now we have the resource of the ICDC. Please check the IBFAN
site for info on the ICDC.

I don't doubt the commitment and honesty of your Medela rep or yours,
but please let's keep in mind that Medela is a for profit business,
and the bottom line is making money.

Veronica

>
>  4. Medela issues
>
>
> Date:    Fri, 6 Mar 2009 06:59:20 -0500
> From:    Ilene Fabisch <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Medela issues
>
> I had my meeting today with my Medela rep.  I've known and trusted
> her for a long time.
> We had a very frank discussion, separating out Medela's view from her
> own.
> I'm not sure I have the energy to report and post here
> everything we covered and I'm not sure what I have to report would be
> heard because it
> seems so many are already on the anti-medela band wagon.  For now I
> will say it's not all
> that it may seem on the surface. My medela rep struggled with some
> ethical issues and
> states that after doing much research and speaking with those higher
> up in Medela feels
> confident that she can still remain employed without compromising her
> ethics.  She asked
> me to do the research too...I have not had the time yet. She also
> asked me to look at both
> the Medela webpage and the Ameda web page and compare...she sees
> little difference. She
> is a wonderful person who has given much to the breastfeeding
> community both locally where
> she lives and people call her and come to her with problems and with
> free product to WIC offices,
> LC's etc. She did state that one of Medela's new initiatives is to
> focus on the NICU because
> that is where many pumps are being used and mom's really need them.
> She also stated they
> have a partnership/initiative in working with WIC.  I have taken some
> of the education programs
> offered to educate WIC staff and they are excellent (AND they don't
> over promote their
> products). She is sorry for the ILCA thing but also gave me some
> background I wasn't aware of.
> They feel the changes in their marketing materials they were
> requested to make, others were
> not being held to the same bar.  One thing she said was they were
> told their bottle were too "colorful".
> She reiterated the enormous cost of the research they are committed
> to and that they are
> really the only ones doing it and it needs to be done.  We talked
> about how they can't always
> control how their product is being marketed on all the webpages by
> other companies/organizations.
> I expressed some of my concerns ie: disrespect for the LC community
> and ethical questions and
> she encouraged me to write to 2 people higher up.  That they NEED to
> hear this (from ALL of us).
> They aren't a bunch of money hungry mean people unwilling to bend,
> they are a company, profit
> is definately a goal BUT they don't intentionally want to hurt LC's
> or breastfeeding rates or market
> poorly.
> We talked briefly (I had a prenatal class to teach) about their
> mission is still the same as it's
> always been "get breastmilk to babies", and we talked about how the
> connect part is missing
> and so important and how this generation doesn't seem to want to make
> the sacrifices to be
> with their babies and feed at breast the same way other generations
> may have.....and that that
> is NOT Medela's fault.  (I had this same conversation with the Hygeia
> rep, yesterday was a big
> rep day for me!)
> I'm sure a lot of you will have a lot to say on this.  She also
> mentioned this controversy is only
> apparently taking hold in some parts of the country and that some of
> the Reps look at her with
> "deer in the headlights look" because they aren't hearing any of this.
>
> Because I've been asked to do some research I want to ask Marsha W. a
> question.
> Who is NABA? Is it only you? and who defines the WHO code specifically?
> I'm lead to believe it is only you and you make all the recommendations.
>
> Ilene Fabisch, IBCLC/RLC
> Clinical Director Mothers' Milk Bank of New England
> Gentle Beginnings Lactation Assistance
>
>



--
Verónica Garea
GALM Bariloche
IBFAN Bariloche - LLL Argentina
" La verdadera sabiduría está en reconocer la propia ignorancia./True
knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing."Sócrates

Pongámosle fin a la publicidad inescrupulosa de fórmulas para bebé.
Visiten el sitio de La Campaña por Un Millón de Firmas y firmen la
petición.
http://www.onemillioncampaign.org/

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

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome