FROM: Sturgess, Frances Coulter
TO:[log in to unmask]
SUBJECT: magazines/ads  and brfdg advocacy
DATE: 10-25-96   13:13 EST
PRIORITY:


hi--I'm a public health nutritionist coordinating perinatal nutrition services
in my county and chair the local Brfdg task force.  One of the activities we
have discussed is sending letters to public media that do a good/poor job of
supporting breastfeding with articles and/or avoiding abm ads/pictures that
continue to normalize bottlfdg.

I see some of you are doing similar things (UNICEF/Jane s.)--are there some
that would be interested in forming an  "action list" and post each other of
needs to send letters?  Or is the consensus that it is better posted to
LACTNET and let whomever do what they want with it?

I did write to a baby goods catalog co that was using bottles as its icons on
the table of contents for feeding/dining equiopment and the next catalog i got
did not have it--so maybe it works to write (they did not respond on a
personal level.)

I'm wondering if it is worth it for folks to write about the following:

Gerbers use of the infant feeding study showing "breastfed babies accept a
greater variety of foods"  in the ADA Journal to sell its greater variety and
CONSPICUOUSLY (to me) omitting the fact that the graph was for BRSTFED
BABIES!!!!

American Baby Magazine selling Lennart Nilssons photos of fetal development (A
Child Is Born) to companies that use it to market formula (its a gorgeous
publication and usually free to docs offices (although two years ago the
manufacturer didn/t kick in enough money and you had to send in $1.50 a copy).
 Its popular because of its desirability as a visual teaching tool.  Many
moms/dads are amazed by the photography, or I would be less concerned.  I did
write to Cahners Publishing last year but the editor feels the text not in the
ads is supportive of brffdg enough that the ads should not matter--however the
ads are much more obviouis in the recent publications than the one i wrote
about!!!)
 Providers are understandably reluctant to remove it and say parents only look
at the fetal pictures (this despite several double page spread ads for abm.)
Any ideas?  E.G. does anyone know Lennart Nilsson to know if he would be
concernd about this use of his material?  I understand Sweden has a 95% brfdg
rate...

Im at [log in to unmask] ifanyone wants to email me direct