Kate writes about how Nestle targets new mothers in the US and it is
shocking to me that they dare to be so brazen.  This thing about how leaving
your baby will strengthen the bonds between you is amazing.  On their
website they recommend starting to leave the baby with a sitter in the first
couple of weeks - get out, continue the life you had before your baby was
born, 'take care of yourself'.  This seems to be some kind of appeal to the
Dessert Generation - I am number one, and no baby should get the idea that
SHE comes first, even in the first month of life!  Just another example of
'the Big Lie'.

I don't believe they send things to anyone in Norway who hasn't sent in a
reply coupon that comes in the freebie book we hand out to all new mothers
here, but once you send in the card, the floodgates are opened, wide.  The
card is from the publishers of the book but once your address is in that
system, you get bombarded.

Here, mothers get offers for all kinds of junk, mostly harmless with
exception of a pacifier v. early on - magazine subs, photo services,
furniture, insurance.  When the baby is just over 4 months old, you get a
sample package of cereal from Nestle, clearly marked 'from 4 months on'.  It
is oat cereal with the addition of rice and wheat, contains 29% powdered
milk, and has added sugar.  Along with this garbage is a book by Nestle on
'Food in the first years of life' with color photos of all the foods they
market here with the exception of formula - even Nestle doesn't dare go that
far here.  The info in the book is at best outdated, and at worst,
dangerous.  They encourage BF mothers to drink one gallon of fluids per day,
or, as they put it, you need one liter more than normal needs, which are
around 2-3 liters of fluid.  They say that a baby of 6 months should be
eating 4 times in 24 hours, and one of these times should be
breastmilk/formula, possibly accompanied by infant cereal, while the others
should be cereal and dinner.  They do concede that some babies need to snack
in between, on 'breastmilk/formula' but this is mentioned in such a way as
to make a mother of such a baby believe her milk supply must be inadequate,
or that she isn't giving enough solids.

We need to report these breaches of the WHO Code to the international
watchdog organizations, Baby Milk Action/IBFAN/WABA.  Nestle in Norway get
very indignant at the suggestion that they do not uphold the code everywhere
in the world (after all, it was practically their IDEA to have the code!),
and they have duped a lot of health care professionals into believing it.
Guess there are plenty of gullible folks around.  I would very much
appreciate seeing these materials you have, Kate, and if you could send me
photocopies it would help me in my efforts to get the Norwegian Society for
Perinatal Medicine to end its relationship with Nestle, which at present
consists of taking ads for the society's newsletter and letting Nestle have
a stand where they hand out chocolates, instant coffee, and push their
leaflets on topics related to infant nutrition, at the annual conference.

Rachel Myr
trying to avoid feeling powerless at what we are up against in the fight to
protect the health of mothers and children, in Kristiansand, Norway

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