Comments on: Nestle Answers: Shifting Blame for Infant Deaths

By: Follow-up questions for Nestle | PhD in Parenting

Follow-up questions for Nestle | PhD in Parenting — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:57:15 +0000

[...] 12. In discussions with the bloggers, your CEO mentioned that children died in the 1970s as a result of the misuse (wrong quantity, mixed with dirty water) of formula samples. Do you believe that deaths from the misuse of formula samples ended in the 1970s? ANSWER HERE [...]

By: Lei Zarycki

Lei Zarycki — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:16:09 +0000

I forgot to mention that formula companies do give formula away for free and then coupons that make it practically free and yes if you don’t use their coupons they do send you larger coupons than if you do use their coupons. It is about the same marketing technique as in developing nations but because there is clean water here, and the government will help you out to buy formula so you don’t have to dilute it to make it last if you don’t have the money for it you don’t have as many babies dying from it. Plus there is a way to get good support and information if it isn’t provided by your doctor or family and let’s face it that makes a huge difference for people who breastfeed in the developed world, because often there isn’t support from family and doctors DON’T have any clue about breastfeeding.

By: MZ

MZ — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:29:28 +0000

Even so, everything I have read (I did a big project on it for grad school) shows that BPA is only released when the container is heated. I hope the FDA bans it soon because it’s dangerous stuff. But regardless, I’m off-topic

By: Tamara @ Parenting By Nature

Tamara @ Parenting By Nature — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:33:55 +0000

BPA is also found in the lining of tins (almost all tin cans are lined with BPA). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

By: Lei Zarycki

Lei Zarycki — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:06:31 +0000

People in DEVELOPED countries are being forced to use formula not just developing and its a miracle that more children aren’t sick or dead because of it. I was forced to stop breastfeeding when I sought help for PostPatrum Depression and denied use of a breastpump to even relieve my engorgement. I had voluntarily asked to have myself checked in to get treatment for my depression because I had attempted suicide. The doctors shoved pills at me and told me there was no medicines that were safe for breastfeeding even though that wasn’t true (the medicines they proscribed happened to be safe for breastfeeding) and that if I tried to breastfeed/pump or refused to take the medicines they would have my son taken away from me. I was a 19 years old single mom and my son was 3 months old. It still upsets me that my son and I were manipulated to give formula and cease nursing something that really boosted my confidence as a young mother. Plus the sudden weaning was very hard on both of us and did temporarily make my depression worse but not as bad as the depression meds make me feel.

I read at a 10th grade level despite some college education and being an avid reader, I reluctantly admit. My mother has a BA in communications and minor in English and between the both of us we failed to see until my son was 10 months old that infant formula water should be boiled before being given. My son’s father didn’t know to boil the water either (and didn’t believe me when I told him he needed to boil the water before giving formula) and as a result my son caught Rotavirus (the local drinking water was contaminated but didn’t let us know until months later by mail) that nearly killed our son.

That was 7 years ago. The directions for mixing powdered formula has gotten smaller since. The newest formula from Nestle states on its label NOT to mix the formula with boiled water in larger print than it says to boil and cool the water before mixing it with the powder. Add to the fact that many parents when making formula have a crying hungry child that they are trying to get fed ASAP I doubt that many parents even have time to read the label or can given its small size.

By: MZ

MZ — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:24:08 +0000

BPA is in plastic and all our formula comes in tins, so it’s not an issue for us (us being my family). However, BPA is leaked when the plastic is subjected to heat. So, if you buy the ready-made formula in the plastic containers BPA is not an issue unless you heat that container. It’s a much big problem with bottles and the plastic containers we heat and store food in.

By: phdinparenting

phdinparenting — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:38:50 +0000

@Monica: Yes, it is. In my opinion BPA in cans is something we have the luxury of being concerned about in the developed world. I think we are right to be concerned, but I think there are bigger problems than the BPA in the developing world. But it should be eradicated from formula cans/tins completely.

By: Monica Vanderleest

Monica Vanderleest — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:35:37 +0000

What about the safety of the formula cans themselves…? BPA and who knows what else. This seems to be completely unaddressed.

By: phdinparenting

phdinparenting — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:21:20 +0000

@slee: Unfortunate but true… “in countries with literacy rates comparable to the US’s exclusive breastfeeding rates”

By: slee

slee — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:09:36 +0000

I lived in a town where the water was unsafe for babies when I was formula feeding my eldest. No one mentioned that though. I’m sure the formula.canister said to boil water etc, but alas, I must have missed the small print. We did, however distill the water because I thought of it on my own, but as an educated woman who does read directions, I question the accessibility of said wording on their packages, since we were using carnation good start (nestle) and enfamil.
Shame on them for suggesting that in countries with literacy rates comparable to the US’s exclusive breastfeeding rates, that printing the words on the back of a canister are all they need to do to ensure infant safety.