This I received from one of our members. IT was too good not to post it. Some of us might want to get writing to this company, so they won't think Anne is an oddball! : ) "Pleasant T. Rowland 8400 Fairway Place Middleton, WI 53562-0190 Dear Ms. Rowland: I am writing to you because your beautiful dolls are cherished by so many litle girls in this country. The stories in the American Girls Collection of books are widely read and sought after in book stores and libraries as well as through catalog sales. I know that you strive for historical accuracy and high quality in all that you do, and that your products influence many mothers and daughters. That is why I want to share my concern about the Baby Doll marketed with a bottle of orange juice and a bottle of milk. Citrus fruits are one of the most common allergens to cause symptoms in babies. Orange juice should not be introduced until around the end of the first year of a baby's life, especially where there is a history of allergies. The text in your catalog implies that this is a newborn baby, and therefore I would not like children or parents to think it is appropriate to introduce orange juice to a baby at this age. We live in a society where bottle feeding has become the norm. However, those with a true concern for children's health agree that breastfeeding is best for babies. Marketing your doll with a bottle of milk sends a message that bottle feeding is an equally safe and commendable way to nurture a baby. In reality, the feeding of formula by bottle increases a baby's risk of ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illness, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, allergies, tooth decay, malocclusion, obesity, bacterial and viral infections, meningitis, diabetes, childhood leukemia and other cancers, developmental delays and other serious illnesses. There are negative consequences for the mother as well. If you would like more detail I would refer you to the reprint, "A Fresh Look at the Risks of Artificial Infant Feeding" by Marsha Walker (1993), available from the International Lactation Consultant Association Publications Department, 201 Brown Avenue, Evanston, IL 60202-3601 for $3.50. FAX (708)475-2523. I am also enclosing a La Leche League reprint, "Facts About Breastfeeding 1994" and a letter to physicians from the Executive Director of UNICEF for you to read. These varied sources all help to make the point that giving formula by bottle is not the innocuous feeding method that the makers of infant formula would like us to believe. It has not been easy to inform people in this country of the importance of breastfeeding in the face of massive advertising of infant formula and bottles. I therefore feel distressed when an influential company concerned with accuracy and quality in products for girls helps to perpetuate the idea that bottle feeding is a fine way to tenderly and lovingly care for a baby. Bottles have a role when mothers are not able to breastfeed, but this should be a rare occurrence and not the norm. We need to help mothers, fathers and children learn the many other ways in which they can interact with babies in a supportive, nurturing and caring manner. Would you consider eliminating the bottles that accompany your New Baby Doll, knowing that their marketing helps to perpetuate the myth that bottle feeding is a healthy alternative to breastfeeding? With your wide influence on young girls, would you further consider showing breastfeeding in some of your written materials on girls in American history? Bottle feeding is a twentieth century phenomenon and had little or no place in the lives of women and babies of earlier periods.Perhaps you can be of help in influencing a new generation of young women toward healthier behaviors for themselves and their babies. Sincerely, Anne Altshuler, RN, MS" That was my letter. Nowm here is the reply I received: (dated December 15, 1994) "Dear Ms. Altshule: (sic) Thank you so much for taking the time to share your enthusiasm for The American Girls Collection and concerns with The New Baby Collection. It is gratifying to hear that our efforts are appreciated. We certainly did not mean to imply, by presenting The New Baby Collection with botles, that this was the only method of feeding babies we prescribed. The book is intended for toddlers who are expecting the arrival of a new baby in the family. Its purpose is to show them the kinds of things they will be able to participate in as they welcome the new baby. A toddler can only be a passive observer of the breastfeeding process, and, in fact, many mothers add an occasional bottle to the breastfeeding schedule in order for siblings to have a chance to feed the infant and experience this kind of caretaking and closeness. Pleasant Company is well aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, that it is not only healthier for the baby, but creates a special bond between mother and child, as well. More than 85% of our employees are women, most of them of childbearing age. We are extremely sensitive to family issues and have developed both of our product lines, The New Baby Collection and The American Girls Collection, to educate young children about their role in families in a positive and constructive way. We appreciate your well-documented information on juice and breastfeeding. We are currently redesigning The New Baby Collection, and so I have forwarded your suggestions of a nursing book and/or a baby with no bottles to our Product Development Department. Pleasant Company welcomes questions, suggestions and comments as they help us improve our product and service. Therefore, we value your letter, and again, thank you for taking the time to write. Sincerely yours, Jeanne Charlton Customer Service Specialist" OK, now this is Anne speaking again. I felt they did not get my message at all. I might have written the letter differently now, after several months on Lactnet. But the fact is that they have continued to market the New Baby Doll with the two bottles. I also saw the accompanying book for the first time after I had written. It features bottle-feeding with no mention of breastfeeding. I have a feeling they just wrote me off as a lone breastfeeding fanatic. I do feel that if lots of others also wrote to them on this subject, they might pay more attention. It would be nice to address their belief that breastfeeding excludes the toddler, that toddlers have to feed baby siblings by bottle to feel part of the process, etc. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kathleen B. Bruce, BSN, IBCLC, LLL Leader Co-Owner Lactnet, LLLOL, Corgi-L E-mail lists LACTNET WWW site: http://www.mcs.com/~auerbach/lactation.html -----------------------------------------------------------------