Further to Kathleen Bruce's posting, I have Ted Greiner's permision to post
the message, below, that he sent out through WABA. I really love the idea
of promoting the idea of Dads feeding babies - *solids* after 6 months, not
bottle-feeding. Let's do it!
Virginia
in sunny Brisbane
Friends,
Some of you may receive the iparenting.com newsletters and were as
alarmed as I was about their partnering with Enfamil to offer $60
worth of free samples. Using even a single tin unnecessarily (who
can turn down a free gift?!) is likely to interfere with good
establishment of breastfeeding in the early weeks, but $60 worth is
pretty guaranteed to be disruptive. Is that news to the formula
companies and their scientific advisors?
WABA is concerned about this kind of abuse of the "new" media.
While, for political reasons, the USA remains open to harmful
marketing efforts of all kinds, fortunately the worst forms like
this are no longer common in most low-income countries. But the
internet knows no borders. We who care about the health of all
babies around the world need to act to help keep intact this rare
and fairly effective system protecting breastfeeding.
But even in the USA, a silent battle for the hearts and minds of
fathers is taking place. Once breast-fed exclusively for six months,
many (not all) infants are rather uninterested in solid foods. This
suspicious attitude toward solid foods is common among many other
babies as well. Many families find that finally Dad can begin taking
a key role in infant feeding because baby knows by that time that
when I'm with Dad there's nothing more interesting behind the spoon.
Dads like the rare occasion when they are best at something. And in
the period 6-8 months or so, babies still breast fed on demand don't
need solid foods very often so Dad can offer them before and after
work. Later, baby gets used to them and is willing to accept them
from Mom as well when Dad's away.
Let's see if we can inculcate THAT norm in society, NOT the milk
company's preference, which is Dad as bottle feeder.
If you receive iparenting's breastfeeding or fathering newsletters--
or even if you don't--send them a protest at [log in to unmask]
Check out their website at www.iparenting.com and you'll see at the
top of the page clear evidence of Enfamil's role in funding them now.
Ted Greiner
Coordinator
WABA Research Task Force
__________________________________________
Dear Sir/Madam,
Although your newsletters on breastfeeding and on fathering are
among the few out there, I have now left both of these lists in
protest to your choice of commercial partners in the advertisement
below.
There are very few countries in the world besides the USA that
accept this kind of demand creation activity on the part of
companies competing with breastfeeding.
No doubt these companies are becoming desperate, as breastfeeding
rates finally start to increase in the USA in spite of all their
efforts to subvert it.
Perhaps some day the USA will even achieve the levels in Scandinavia
where nearly all women breastfeed, if the US ever chooses to adopt
truly family friendly policies--including banning this kind
reprehensible marketing.
Giving $60 of free formula to new mothers is like giving $60 of free
heroin on the school grounds. Once you're dependent it's not free
anymore--and it is an innocent child who pays the price. Or are you
still into the 1950s argument that there's no difference in health
between breast and bottle fed infants? If you'd be interested in
some scientific evidence to share with your readers showing how
artificial feeding harms--and in some cases even kills--American
infants, let me know.
You also well know that your newsletter gives infant formula
companies a channel to reach well beyond the borders of the USA to
places where such advertising is even illegal.
And, as experts in fatherhood issues, you well know the danger that
infant formula companies succeed in "schooling" the growing
fatherhood movement into the idea that the father's role is to help
feed the young infant.
You should be ashamed of yourselves. I am copying this to the
international breastfeeding movement in hopes that they send out a
warning to others to get off your mailing lists as well.
I doubt you are genuinely concerned about the breastfeeding and
fatherhood issues you earn money from, but in case you are, I humbly
suggest withdrawing from this partnership, explaining to your
readers why you do so, and presenting some articles on better roles
for fathers (for example, father can be "chief solid food feeder"
after six months of exclusive breastfeeding).
Sincerely,
Ted Greiner, PhD
Coordinator
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action
Research Task Force
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