Infant formula or breastfeeding? How Big Businesses Influence Parents

Published

July 19, 2018 05:00:00

Infant formula is a wonderful product for some working mothers and those who can not or do not want to badfeed.

But it's also an amazing product for big business, with a … Renewing the target market

How to feed your baby can be a heavy decision at a time when emotions are high and the advice can be contradictory.

While the "best done" narrative is in Australia, the influence of infant formula companies on parents starts in local hospitals and supermarkets and moves into the corridors of the 'lambs'. World Health Organization and the White House

Closer to home, public health groups have sounded the alarm over the marketing of preparations as the Australian government revises its national strategy on health. Breastfeeding, at a time when

"They should have given more information"

For many parents, hospitals are their first exposure to infant formula, a critical care option for babies who lose weight or are unable to feed themselves

But this can block the continued use of parents because babies can quickly develop a preference for milk formula, which can disrupt the supply of bad milk.

Wendy Atkinson was recommended by an NSW regional hospital when his daughter Chelsea was born five months ago.

"I was not producing enough milk in the early hours, which is normal, the midwives said they would need a complete formula," says Atkinson.

"It started on the path of mixed feeding and it took me three months to wean her off for mula, which completely upset my ability to produce milk – it has day after day to relearn how to do it meticulously

"Everyone was doing what he thought was best for my baby, but I think they should have given me more information," he says. is dangerous not to educate women when they are so desperately they are tired, they may not be able to badfeed normally after this first bottle of formula.

Canberra's mother, Julia O. Brien, had a similar experience four months ago. She was encouraged to use formula when her baby lost more than 10% of her birth weight in the first few days after badfeeding.

"In principle, they seemed to be anti-formula, but they pushed us"

A second-best for problems

Mrs. O. Brien is not the only False or incomplete medical advice around the formula is described as a key theme in stakeholder consultation for the National Breastfeeding Strategy

"Health Professionals Lack of Expertise and turn to artificial powder rather than to cause and badfeeding.Breastfeeding Advocacy Australia alleges in his submission

NSW Health did not comment on the extent of this practice, but stated that it "educates and trains staff for what it is." to help families badfeed their babies, although sometimes the formula may be necessary to support a baby's health, there is a risk that the use of a free or low-cost formula may demotivate hospitals and prevent staff devote time to badfeeding Julie Smith, ANU Public Health Expert

Trump launches into "formula wars"

Most infant formula sold in Australia are imported because local producers can find higher prices in Asia A decade after the melamine scandal that killed six babies and more than 300,000 patients, Chinese demand for the Australian formula is still strong.

Four multinationals dominate the global industry of $ 70 billion: Nestle, Danone, Abbott and Mead Johnson and Danone having about 80% of the Australian market

Their pockets are deep and their relations with governments can be cozy. Abbott Laboratories, for example, sponsored the inauguration of President Donald Trump in 2017.

The Trump administration was widely accused of protecting the interests of the giants of the formula with its intervention at the same time. World Health Assembly in May. According to the New York Times, US delegates also threatened to cut US contributions to WHO, which accounted for 15% of its budget, and a dozen other countries also dropped the motion from the US. Ecuador in favor of badfeeding.

Eventually, Russia reintroduced and pbaded the badfeeding motion, but US negotiators diluted its calls to restrict the marketing of infant formula.

Nestle told the Center for Investigative Journalism that "we have never lobbied governments to oppose badfeeding policies anywhere in the world."

However, his points of discussion at the WHO Assembly were clear. States should consider measures other than merely recommending additional restrictions on the promotion of commercial baby foods.

During the negotiations, Australia stated that it would only support a motion "flexible enough to allow countries to implement measures tailored to their national contexts". In other words, a motion with some leeway

'Simple packaging' in hospitals

While lobbyists represent formula manufacturers on the world stage, smaller but no less crucial agreements are made with local hospitals.

With regard to infant formula, brand loyalty is fierce and hospital product brands carry a mark of approval. Like many parents, the mothers interviewed by ABC continued to use the mark of their hospital at home.

"Babies' stomachs are very sensitive, so I did not want to risk changing them," says Atkinson.

"You already have so many challenges that you desperately want to maintain the status quo."

Some submissions for government review suggested that "neutral packaging" of infant formula in hospitals could help counteract inadvertent marketing. 19659005] "Hospital contracts are extremely valuable, so I've heard of bills [for formula] never paid for by hospitals and never driven out by these companies," says Dr. Smith.

"They know they start free maternal preparations"

NSW Health told the ABC that the formula was purchased at an individual level by hospitals

. "The industry recommends its own rules

The WHO recommends that marketing guidelines for infant formula be legislated and enforceable." Instead, Australia has a voluntary agreement limiting the formula advertising for babies under 12 months old.

This is what is called the agreement on the marketing of infant formula in Australia and 97% of the brands are registered there. The complaints are determined by an industry court overseen by the Ministry of Health, but there are no penalties other than reputation.

"But for these companies, it's a huge penalty," says Jan Carey, general manager of the Infant Nutrition Council. a pressure group for manufacturers and distributors of preparations in Australia.

"They are very careful to respect the agreement."

Between 2008 and 2017, 10 complaints about the marketing of the formula were confirmed by the court of industry. companies take their agreement seriously. But another 169 were rejected as "out of reach", which, according to badfeeding advocates, shows how close the agreement is.

Retailers are not covered by the industry agreement. as well as on television and online, despite the WHO's recommendations against point-of-sale advertising, discount coupons and giveaways.

Formula marketing is prevalent on social media, through explicit advertisements and more subtle "marketing of influence" and online "mother clubs"

. – although several major brands have already chosen not to advertise online

Trademarks are not intended to "promote" health professionals under their agreement, but they may provide samples and "materials" on their products. Information for health professionals can not be promotional, "says Carey.

"Scientific and factual information must be supported, it is a requirement for parents to make informed choices about what they feed their babies." [19659005] The brands can also accommodate training and education. Infant feeding sessions for medical staff near hospitals that also showcase their products.

Toddler's milk as a bridge

When the industry adopted its voluntary agreement in 1992, advertising for a new product exploded: milk toddlers. formula, allowing brands to advertise by proxy. The ads could show a happy baby in the place of a baby, but the message is similar: this brand improves nutrition for very young children.

A 2010 study found that pregnant women receive milk advertisements for children. They also believed that the advertising claims that the formula had similar health benefits to badfeeding.

ACCC is concerned that advertising on the milk of toddlers will undermine the industry's agreement in 2016.

a numbered sequence, with the infant formula as the first step. This can lead to cross promotion between the two products.

"These milks were introduced to circumvent the rules on infant formula, but the industry discovered a new market," says Dr. Smith.

"Now they have" growing milks "and milks for pregnant women – their strategy is called" up-aging "and the mantra is essentially" womb to tomb. "

Government Guidelines Australian says that "toddlers are not needed for healthy children." regular foods, yet toddler milk samples are distributed through early childhood centers and some brands, such as Aspen S -26, offer free samples on their website, with links distributed through parenting forums. "Some parents give baby preparations to their babies because it's cheaper or because they think it's the same as infant formula, which is dangerous because it's not designed for infants' needs, "she says.

Several countries have banned advertising for toddler milks, as recommended by the WHO. When Vietnam restricted the advertising on the milk of toddlers in 2012, the US Embbady wrote in a letter to the ministers:

"Several US companies have contacted the US Embbady for their serious concerns.We share their concerns. "

Government Responds

Examination of evidence from National Breastfeeding Strategy revealed that a combination of initiatives would be necessary to reduce badfeeding rates, but expressed concerns about the marketing of preparations.

"Self-regulation is ineffective and legislation is needed", but the draft national strategy on Breastfeeding states that "mandatory regulations would be unlikely" since the government aims to "reduce the regulatory burden on industry"

. fully regulated environment "and that this would have" no impact on our regulatory burden ".

Breastfeeding groups are disappointed by the renewed support of the strategy for self-regulation.

"Legislating the WHO Code is the only way to increase badfeeding rates in Australia," said an Australian spokesman.

The system will continue to depend on people who file complaints, but the Ministry of Health will now determine them after an independent review that has revealed "low awareness and visibility", "poor opportunity" and "lack of transparency ".

The review however noted that "self-regulation encourages high levels of consultation between government and industry and creates a sense of ownership by the industry."

When the bad is not "the best" [19659018] With regard to hospitals, better training of health workers is one of the initiatives of the draft national strategy on health care. ; badfeeding.

While many mothers report informa- "There was a lot of conflicting information from the hospital and I felt almost bullied even though it became impossible," says the new mother Sonja Haben

. "During the first nights, my son fed for six to nine consecutive hours," says another, Amanda Lam. "I am disappointed that midwives did not propose a formula until a pediatrician intervened." The formula was definitely the right decision, but I do not understand that there is more information about the mix. feed when it's so common. "

With additional reports by Freya Petersen

Topics:

babies — newborns,

babies,

family and children,

community-and-society,

business-economics-and-finance

Australia