This I received from one of our members. IT was too good not to post it.
Some of us might want to get writing to this company, so they won't think
Anne is an oddball! : )
"Pleasant T. Rowland
8400 Fairway Place
Middleton, WI 53562-0190
Dear Ms. Rowland:
I am writing to you because your beautiful dolls are cherished by so many
litle girls in this country. The stories in the American Girls Collection
of books are widely read and sought after in book stores and libraries as
well as through catalog sales. I know that you strive for historical
accuracy and high quality in all that you do, and that your products
influence many mothers and daughters. That is why I want to share my
concern about the Baby Doll marketed with a bottle of orange juice and a
bottle of milk.
Citrus fruits are one of the most common allergens to cause symptoms in
babies. Orange juice should not be introduced until around the end of the
first year of a baby's life, especially where there is a history of
allergies. The text in your catalog implies that this is a newborn baby,
and therefore I would not like children or parents to think it is
appropriate to introduce orange juice to a baby at this age.
We live in a society where bottle feeding has become the norm. However,
those with a true concern for children's health agree that breastfeeding is
best for babies. Marketing your doll with a bottle of milk sends a message
that bottle feeding is an equally safe and commendable way to nurture a
baby. In reality, the feeding of formula by bottle increases a baby's risk
of ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illness, Sudden Infant Death
Syndrome, allergies, tooth decay, malocclusion, obesity, bacterial and
viral infections, meningitis, diabetes, childhood leukemia and other
cancers, developmental delays and other serious illnesses. There are
negative consequences for the mother as well. If you would like more
detail I would refer you to the reprint, "A Fresh Look at the Risks of
Artificial Infant Feeding" by Marsha Walker (1993), available from the
International Lactation Consultant Association Publications Department, 201
Brown Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202-3601 for $3.50. FAX (708)475-2523. I am
also enclosing a La Leche League reprint, "Facts About Breastfeeding 1994"
and a letter to physicians from the Executive Director of UNICEF for you to
read. These varied sources all help to make the point that giving formula
by bottle is not the innocuous feeding method that the makers of infant
formula would like us to believe.
It has not been easy to inform people in this country of the importance of
breastfeeding in the face of massive advertising of infant formula and
bottles. I therefore feel distressed when an influential company concerned
with accuracy and quality in products for girls helps to perpetuate the
idea that bottle feeding is a fine way to tenderly and lovingly care for a
baby. Bottles have a role when mothers are not able to breastfeed, but
this should be a rare occurrence and not the norm. We need to help
mothers, fathers and children learn the many other ways in which they can
interact with babies in a supportive, nurturing and caring manner.
Would you consider eliminating the bottles that accompany your New Baby
Doll, knowing that their marketing helps to perpetuate the myth that bottle
feeding is a healthy alternative to breastfeeding? With your wide
influence on young girls, would you further consider showing breastfeeding
in some of your written materials on girls in American history? Bottle
feeding is a twentieth century phenomenon and had little or no place in the
lives of women and babies of earlier periods.Perhaps you can be of help in
influencing a new generation of young women toward healthier behaviors for
themselves and their babies.
Sincerely,
Anne Altshuler, RN, MS"
That was my letter. Nowm here is the reply I received: (dated December
15, 1994)
"Dear Ms. Altshule: (sic)
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your enthusiasm for The
American Girls Collection and concerns with The New Baby Collection. It
is gratifying to hear that our efforts are appreciated.
We certainly did not mean to imply, by presenting The New Baby Collection
with botles, that this was the only method of feeding babies we prescribed.
The book is intended for toddlers who are expecting the arrival of a new
baby in the family. Its purpose is to show them the kinds of things they
will be able to participate in as they welcome the new baby. A toddler can
only be a passive observer of the breastfeeding process, and, in fact, many
mothers add an occasional bottle to the breastfeeding schedule in order for
siblings to have a chance to feed the infant and experience this kind of
caretaking and closeness.
Pleasant Company is well aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, that it is
not only healthier for the baby, but creates a special bond between mother
and child, as well. More than 85% of our employees are women, most of them
of childbearing age. We are extremely sensitive to family issues and have
developed both of our product lines, The New Baby Collection and The
American Girls Collection, to educate young children about their role in
families in a positive and constructive way.
We appreciate your well-documented information on juice and breastfeeding.
We are currently redesigning The New Baby Collection, and so I have
forwarded your suggestions of a nursing book and/or a baby with no bottles
to our Product Development Department. Pleasant Company welcomes
questions, suggestions and comments as they help us improve our product and
service. Therefore, we value your letter, and again, thank you for taking
the time to write.
Sincerely yours,
Jeanne Charlton
Customer Service Specialist"
OK, now this is Anne speaking again. I felt they did not get my message at
all. I might have written the letter differently now, after several months
on Lactnet. But the fact is that they have continued to market the New
Baby Doll with the two bottles. I also saw the accompanying book for the
first time after I had written. It features bottle-feeding with no mention
of breastfeeding. I have a feeling they just wrote me off as a lone
breastfeeding fanatic. I do feel that if lots of others also wrote to them
on this subject, they might pay more attention. It would be nice to address
their belief that breastfeeding excludes the toddler, that toddlers have to
feed baby siblings by bottle to feel part of the process, etc.
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Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC, LLL Leader
Co-Owner Lactnet, LLLOL, Corgi-L E-mail lists
LACTNET WWW site: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html
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