Hello Marsha,
I wished to share something with you.
In France, we still have few BFI hospitals...
And from years to years, there are more and more discharge bags;
When I gave birth to my twins, I got just one discharge bag;
A few years later, each mom giving birth could receive 3 to 4 different
discharge bags...
One difficulty for hospitals, concerning those discharge bags which are
really undermining breastfeeding is that: moms love those bags;
Once I was "only" an association, I was asked one day if I had samples (sic,
I could find you the email); I answered I had no breast as samples; she
said, well at least we receive plenty of samples and reduc-coupons; I
answered then "but you pay the samples and the coupons" at the moment you
buy their product at the supermarket"; "no it is a present" and so on.
Now I am coming to the worse; during my pregnancy I had got my
"pre-discharge" bag; I had given my name at the hospital, and given the
approximated date of birth of my third son;
I gave birth (dec. 6th).
Middle of January I think I receive a call;
-Hello, this Sodilac lab, maybe you know us, we are marketing formula;
-Yes I have heard of you;
-May I ask you how you feed your child?
-I breastfeed him;
-Oh very good choice indeed; this is really the best food for children; and
do you know the date of the weaning?
-Weaning?
-Yes, normally women wean their babies at one month of age;
-I don't see why I should wean my son; I don't know because I can't know
when HE weans;
-Oh (disappointed, and maybe: not understanding);
I took my computer, wrote a letter to the Minister of Health, and to the
"Repression of Frauds"; I have learnt then that taking the bag given during
pregnancy, and/or taking the discharge bag, meant being on the list that was
sold to formula manufacturers AND that some actions of those manufacturers
could be like calling moms at home.
Finally, the manufacturer stopped a few times after my action; I am sure
they do other manner....
You said Mead n Johnson and photograph (that is cheat).... here I am talking
of Solidac.... I am afraid "they" do all the same;
As a matter of short story: Nestle in a large area of northern-est of
France: they enrolled as many mothers as possible, telling them: we enrolle
your baby, we feed him you pay nothing, you pay no formula. I know it from a
pediatrician, IBCLC, who was approached by Nestle; she also told me that
each time a baby did not fit the goal of the study, the baby was discarded
from the study upon whatever reason. I wonder if this was for the "new"
formula with bifidus L xxx "which protects the baby who are not breastfed".
There are still many things to do;
Sorry for being long...
Breast regards,
Françoise Coudray, IBCLC
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, September 02, 2009 2:51 PM
Subject: New formula company tactic
>
> The National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy (NABA) has recently
> received a complaint from a mother describing a new (or maybe not so new!)
> formula company tactic to obtain the contact information for new mothers.
> Many hospitals contract with a photography company to take photos of
> newborn babies and sell these to new parents. One such company, OUR365,
> has partnered with Mead Johnson to sell the name, address, and infant's
> birthdate to Mead Johnson who then enrolls mothers in their formula club
> and sends them formula samples and other marketing material for the baby's
> first year.
>
> Most hospitals are unaware that their patients' names and addresses are
> being sold to a third party. I have contacted the Office of the Inspector
> General of the Health and Human Services Department to see if this is a
> HIPAA violation. I have not heard back yet. I have a list of over 1900
> hospitals who contract with OUR 365 as well as the contact information for
> the marketing manager of that company if anyone is interested to see if
> their hospital or other hospitals where your mothers deliver engages the
> services of this photography company. You may wish to inform the hospitals
> in your state who use OUR365 about this behavior. This has been
> particularly distressing to Baby Friendly hospitals or those with a
> certificate of intent as well as those hospitals who have worked so hard
> to eliminate the formula company discharge bags.
>
> This slimy tactic is yet another example of the lengths formula companies
> go to undermine breastfeeding. Maybe a few hundred letters to OUR365 will
> get the message across.
>
> Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
> Weston, MA
>
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