Pamela describes the low 'tricks' formula manufacturers will get up
to, when permitted.
I agree - the only real answer to this is full international adoption
and monitoring with sanctions of the WHO code.
Although a member, I am not very active in Baby Milk Action but I am
supposing that the reason for this:
>
>But what I find most curious about the list of Nestle products to
>boycott which you've sent in is the important note from Baby Milk
>Action preceding it, which says, "Nestle baby formulas are not on
>the boycott list because sometimes they are needed for medical
>reasons."
....is that this is primarily a *consumer* boycott, and that some
consumers find themselves using Nestle formula for their babies, for
'medical reasons'. It would be harsh to require that a mother,
possibly let down by the health services, who is using a Nestle
formula, stop using the brand to comply with the boycott.
>
>
>Pamela Morrison IBCLC (curious in England, appalled at the low
>breastfeeding rates, even more disgusted that my government hands
>out vouchers for free formula to low-income mothers, and that some
>of my colleagues actually _defend_ this, and wishing for a properly
>implemented Code that covered all formulas/foods marketed for
>baby/toddlers for the full two years that they should be
>BREASTfed...)
Don't be 'disgusted' with your colleagues, Pamela! The situation is
not quite as you describe - low income mothers get 'Healthy Start'
vouchers of a few pounds a week, which can be exchanged for certain
items (fruit, veg etc) and formula is on the list. This was a huge
step forward from a few years ago, when formula feeding mothers
actually got vouchers and bf mothers did not get the equivalent
monetary value in non-formula milk vouchers.
There are those of us who if not exactly defending this, accept that
this is a stage in a political process which should include genuine
social and cultural change in breastfeeding.
Stopping all cut-price formula to low income mothers may have
unintended consequences for infant health - and the intended
consequences of protecting breastfeeding won't happen without other
profound and wide-spread changes in infant feeding support.
Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK
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