Tuesday, December 28, 2004

MercuryNews.com | 12/28/2004 | Mothers' milk may hold promise for ill adults
SOME FIND BENEFITS FOR CANCER, OTHER SERIOUS DISEASES
By Barbara Feder Ostrov, Mercury News
"Breast milk isn't just for babies at the Mothers' Milk Bank in San Jose, which quietly offers it to adults with cancer and other serious illnesses to ease their symptoms. The milk bank is one of just six in the United States. It distributes donated breast milk primarily to premature and low-birth-weight babies. However, it also will provide breast milk to adults with a doctor's prescription. Adult use of breast milk is rare, according to Pauline Sakamoto of the milk bank in San Jose, which has served 28 adult patients in the past four years. Adults with cancer, digestive disorders and immune disorders may drink several ounces of milk daily or weekly to ease the ravages of chemotherapy, bolster their immune systems and improve their digestion, she said. No national figures exist for adult use of breast milk, but an informal survey of the nation's milk banks suggest that they currently serve dozens of adult patients...."

Monday, December 27, 2004

CBS News | How To Train Baby To Fall Asleep | December 27, 2004?11:31:55
How To Train Baby To Fall Asleep
NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2004
("CBS) Parents of infants know all too well how frustrating it can be when their babies can't drift off to sleep without wailing. Multiply the impact by the number of times infants naturally wake up during the night, and you wind up with parents whose nerves need a break. But you can actually train your newborn to go to sleep, and Parents magazine Senior Editor Diane Debrovner offered tips on how. ..."
[This is one of those horrifying articles that recommends: - letting babies as young as 3 months old cry for 30 -40 minutes, and warns that if you give in at that time, it "will only teach him to continue crying." If the infant vomits after crying so much, you're told to clean up the mess, kiss the child, and keep trying the "sleep training." The only breastfeeding mention is to note that breastfed babies wake up more during the night because they are hungrier. What's alarming is the article is written by a senior editor of "Parent" magazine. - JC]

Friday, December 24, 2004

244 grams baby endures
"CHICAGO (AP) — A premature infant believed to be the smallest baby ever to survive was called “a great blessing” by her mother, who is preparing to take the little girl and her twin sister home from the hospital.
The baby, named Rumaisa, weighed 244 grams — less than a can of soda — when she was delivered by Caesarean section September 19 at Loyola University Medical Center. That is 37 grams smaller than the previous record holder, who was born at the same hospital in 1989, according to hospital spokeswoman Sandra Martinez. ...
Dr. Jonathan Muraskas, a professor of neonatal-perinatal medicine, said several factors may have improved the babies’ chances of survival. Babies born before 23 weeks do not have fully developed lungs and are usually not viable, but those born before the 25th week can survive. Muraskas said girls are also more likely to survive than boys when born at less than 368.5 grams , and the twins could have been helped by their mother’s health problems. “Sometimes, when babies are stressed in utero, that can accelerate maturity,” he said. Muraskas said the twins were placed on ventilators for a few weeks and fed intravenously for a week or two until nurses could give them breast milk through feeding tubes..."

Thursday, December 23, 2004

Infant formula powder recalled
December 23, 2004
Food safety
"Government departments are closely monitoring an incident of intestinal infection, noting that Mead Johnson has initiated a recall of all Pregestimil infant formula powder from international markets including Hong Kong as a precautionary measure following the incident. Initial information Mead Johnson  provided to the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department showed that four premature infants in France had become ill with Enterobacter sakazakii - a bacterial infection - between October and December. ..."
 

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Release of Two Revised Infant Feeding Recommendations
November 2004
"Health Canada has released revised recommendations related to the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants. These recommendations will serve as updates to the statements found in Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants published in 1998. An updated version of the document Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants reflecting these two revised recommendations will be posted on our web site in the coming months. The recommendation on vitamin D supplementation for breastfed infants is based on the advice of the Dietary Reference Intake Expert Advisory Committee and input from leading Canadian vitamin D experts. The recommendation on duration of exclusive breastfeeding was informed by the Expert Advisory Panel on Exclusive Breastfeeding. Stakeholders also provided valuable input on both recommendations through a comment period held in early 2004." [The good news is, Health Canada has boosted its exclusive breastfeeding recommendations to be in line with the WHO - six months exclusive. The bad news is, the Vitamin D supplement recommendation remains for all breastfed babies. - JC]

Thursday, December 16, 2004

Research studies effects of soy baby formula on intestinal development
Public release date: 16-Dec-2004
Contact: Phyllis Picklesimer, Media/Communications Specialist
p-pickle@uiuc.edu
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
"URBANA, Ill. -- Two studies by University of Illinois food science and human nutrition professor Sharon Donovan show that the soy isoflavone genistein, in amounts present in commercial soy infant formulas, may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies. So what are we to think about soy in a baby's diet? Donovan said it's an important question to ask because almost 25 percent of formula-fed babies in the United States consume soy formula. Although babies on soy formula appear to grow normally, these formulas contain very high concentrations of genistein, from 32 to 45 milligrams, which is higher than the amount found to affect menstrual cycles in women, she said. 'I'm struck by the fact that these babies are receiving isoflavones at such high concentrations,' Donovan said. 'Formula is the sole source of nutrition for these infants for the first four to six months of life, when so many important organ systems are developing.' ..."

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

allAfrica.com: Nigeria: Killer Baby Food Floods Markets - NAFDAC Raises Alarm
Daily Champion (Lagos)
December 8, 2004
"NATIONAL Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday alerted the public to a fake, killer SMA infant baby formula in the market, saying the product is stuffed with cassava flour. Already, a suspect, Mr. Sixtus Agbaegbon, has been dragged before a Federal High Court, Abuja charged with being in possession of dangerous products that could kill children and for illegal manufacture and faking of SMA baby milk. Speaking at a training programme for NAFDAC Monitoring Officers on Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) in Abuja, the Director General of the agency, Dr (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, said the infant formula did not comply with international safety standards...."

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Jailed Ghanaian woman moved closer to baby: "
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kentucky Post
By Stephenie Steitzer
Post staff reporter
"A woman from Ghana, Africa, who was arrested last month on charges of falsely claiming to be an American citizen was moved to the Boone County jail last week to be closer to her newborn son. Authorities moved Yaa Boateng, who was arrested Nov. 19, from the Grant County jail so her public defender, Lisa Bushelman, could transport Boateng's breast milk to her baby's foster care residence in Florence. Boateng, who was in the country on a student visa to attend Northern Kentucky University, is suspected of altering her Social Security card and attesting to being a U.S. citizen on an I-9 form to obtain a job at DHL Express in Erlanger.... "
AP Wire | 12/07/2004 | Nestle China Defends Its Infant Formula
Posted on Tue, Dec. 07, 2004
BEIJING - Swiss food conglomerate Nestle SA is disputing a Chinese consumer's lawsuit alleging that its infant formula is fake because it is not made from whole milk. Contents of infant formula in China are a sensitive topic because of a nationwide scandal that erupted in April following the deaths at least 12 babies from malnutrition attributed to fake milk powder. None of the cases involved Nestle products, and the company said Tuesday that the new lawsuit appeared aimed at damaging its reputation...."

Monday, December 06, 2004

Scotsman.com News - Health - MSP enjoys breast ever month
Dec 06, 2004
RUTH ARMSTRONG
HEALTH REPORTER
"IT’S the most natural thing in the world but has sparked outrage and even seen a law passed protecting the right of women to do it. Now, in a bid to rid the activity of its stigma, an MSP has joined nursing mums in posing for a calendar featuring them breastfeeding their babies. Fiona Hyslop has been photographed breastfeeding five-month-old son Paul for the calendar, which aims to persuade women that breast is best. The calendar was created by health workers in West Lothian who were concerned about low levels of breastfeeding. It features nursing mums in everyday places, including McArthur Glen shopping centre and Almondvale Stadium. The tasteful shots are designed to show breastfeeding in public can be done discreetly. Ms Hyslop said: "I was asked if I would support the initiative and I was delighted to do so. Improving breastfeeding rates in the Lothians is a key public health issue. I was surprised to be asked - I never thought I would be a calendar girl. "I am now going back to parliament after maternity leave and I am trying to combine breastfeeding with my work as a parliamentarian," added the SNP Lothians list MSP, who has two other children...."

Friday, December 03, 2004

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | White gold: "White gold

Breast-milk banks save the lives of many tiny babies, says Jane Hutchinson - but we need more

Wednesday December 1, 2004
The Guardian

Camilla Kingdon has cause to celebrate. As a consultant on the neonatal intensive care unit at Guy's and St Thomas' in London, she has been instrumental in setting up the hospital's new human milk bank. Breast milk is particularly important for premature babies: it is much better tolerated than formula milk and contains vital antibodies that help them fight infections. But until now if a mother of a baby on the unit could not get her milk going - something fairly common after a traumatic early birth - there was no option but to put the baby on to formula unless breast milk could be shipped in from somewhere else in time. "

Saturday, November 27, 2004

WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY :: Parents Say Hospital's Baby Formula Led To Daughter's Brain Damage
"(LOUISVILLE, November 5th, 2004) -- It seems as innocent as the mouths it is fed to: powdered infant baby formula. But WAVE 3 has uncovered evidence powdered formula could lead to serious health problems -- even death -- in some infants. One local family is now suing University of Louisville Hospital because of what happened to their daughter. WAVE 3 Investigator Eric Flack has the exclusive story. From the day she was born, Ashley Hill has been her mother's best friend. "I talk to her every day and I tell her how special she is," said her mom, Rhonda Smith. To her father, Bert Hill, Ashley is daddy's little girl. "I mean when she came out, we was in tears," he said. Ashley was born 9 weeks premature in December of 1999. She weighed just one pound, 13 ounces. But after two months in the neo-natal intensive care unit at University of Louisville Hospital, Rhonda Smith says her daughter went home in good condition. Her parents thought Ashley's struggles were over. But they were just beginning. Ashley, now four years old, may never walk, talk or feed herself. The result of severe brain damage caused by meningitis she got days after leaving the hospital. Her parents blame University Hospital for what happened. "They robbed her of her life," Rhonda Smith said. A baby gift pack given to them by the hospital contained powdered baby formula. "She was on the powdered formula when she got sick," Smith said. Now, Attorney Nick Stein says there was clear cut evidence before Ashley was born, that bacteria in powdered formula can cause serious illness, including meningitis, in babies with weak immune systems..."
Protective Role of Human Milk for Preemies Unclear
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage
Fri 26 November, 2004 17:27
By Megan Rauscher
"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Currently available research findings do not provide conclusive evidence that feeding very low birth weight (VLBW) premature babies human milk offers significant protection against infection. The belief that human milk feeding will help ward of infection in these vulnerable infants is one of the chief reasons for advocating the practice, clinicians from the UK note in the Archives of Diseases of Childhood Neonatal Edition. 'However, using human milk to feed premature babies is much more difficult than using a formula, so this practice needs to be evidence based,' Dr. S. Andrew Spencer from University Hospital of North Staffordshire, told Reuters Health."..."

Thursday, November 25, 2004

Six-organ transplant a rare chance at life
By Stacey Singer
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 25, 2004
"For the smallest babies, it often signals the beginning of a slow and painful death, one marked by increasingly desperate surgeries to remove dead tissue from their bowels. Until a few years ago, Natalia's story would have ended after her fifth surgery, when there was no more bowel left to remove, when her liver finally gave way...." [This is an interesting story - an infant's fight with pre-maturity and necrotizing enterocolitis. She received a multi-organ transplant and is being nourished by her mother's milk. The article includes a quote from the transplant surgeon who says human milk is the best option after transplant. - JC]

Monday, November 22, 2004

Moms Fight to Breastfeed in Public: "Moms Fight to Breastfeed in Public
Run Date: 11/22/04
By Juhie Bhatia
WeNews correspondent
(WOMENSENEWS)--The first time Lorig Charkoudian was asked to cover up was in early July, as she nursed her 14-month-old daughter in a Maryland Starbucks. Only one other customer was in the coffee shop, and Charkoudian had her back to him. Still, a Starbucks employee asked her to cover her daughter's face with a blanket or suggested she nurse in the bathroom. No one had complained, he said, he was just being pro-active.
..."

Saturday, November 20, 2004

BABY MILK BUG SCARE

Nov 20 2004
Daily Record
"NEWBORN children should not be fed powdered baby milk because it often contains a deadly bug, health experts warned yesterday. The European Food Safety Agency advised mums should use liquid formula milk for the first four weeks of life if breastfeeding was not possible. They say the powdered milk can contain a bacterium which causes meningitis or severe gut problems. Older babies can fight off the infection but newborns and premature to..."
Democrat & Chronicle:
(November 20, 2004) — Dr. Ruth A. Lawrence was unlike many women in the 1950s — she had a full-time job, and a prestigious one at that.
But she tried to never let it get in the way of raising her nine (that's right, nine) children. I was very careful to do my share to never dump my children on somebody else, to make as many or more cookies for PTA meetings, do as much or more car pooling. I never, ever let somebody think I wasn't doing my share," said Lawrence, who is still working at the University of Rochester Medical Center as a professor of pediatrics...."

Thursday, November 18, 2004

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Breastfeeding bill gains approval: "MSPs have passed a bill making it illegal to bar women from breastfeeding their babies in public. They voted by 103-13 to make it an offence to stop anyone feeding milk to children under two in public or in family-friendly licensed premises. The Breastfeeding (Scotland) Bill received wide support and was passed on Thursday afternoon.... "

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Baby care controversy
WXYZ: Investigations
Steve Wilson
Nov 15, 2004
"Some local churches are using the popular Baby-Wise books by Gary Ezzo as a teaching aid in preparation for parenting. Ezzo is not a doctor, has no formal training in child development, and some say this advice is downright dangerous. Doctors at Children’s Hospital in Detroit are among those far and wide who oppose the Ezzo program, specifically his advice to impose a very strict schedule for infant feeding and his advice parents just ignore the screams of their hungry newborns to force them onto the schedule. "It is dangerous to do it the way he describes," Pediatrician Dr. Rosemary Shy says of Ezzo's technique. "It puts these babies at risk for jaundice, at risk for dehydration, and at risk for failing to thrive, all of which we’ve seen."..." [This is a link to a Real Video report - JC]

Saturday, November 13, 2004

AP Wire | 11/13/2004 | Police say child got drugs from breast milk
Associated Press
"FORT WORTH, Texas - A mother of six has been indicted on a charge of recklessly causing serious bodily injury to a child by passing drug-tainted breast milk to her 14-month-old daughter. 'I think a Tarrant County jury will probably be outraged by this and will be glad to have a chance to litigate it,' prosecutor Mitch Poe told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for its Saturday editions. 'Hopefully, this will send a strong message to nursing mothers to stop doing drugs.'Corrina Annette Richardson, 35, remained in the Tarrant County Jail on Saturday morning with bail set at $10,000. She was indicted Wednesday...."

Friday, November 12, 2004

Martek Receives Adverse Ruling on European DHA/ARA Oil Blends Patent; Validity of Patent Will Be Unaffected During Appeal Process
Martek Receives Adverse Ruling on European DHA/ARA Oil Blends Patent; Validity of Patent Will Be Unaffected During Appeal Process
Friday November 12, 7:56 am ET
"COLUMBIA, Md., Nov. 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK - News) today announced that its European DHA/ARA Oil Blends Patent was revoked in a proceeding that was held in Munich, Germany by the European Patent Office on November 11, 2004. The hearing was the result of challenges made by two potential competitors of the Company. The Company intends, within the next few days, to file an appeal that will automatically reinstate the patent so that it will remain in force during the appeal process. The appeal process is anticipated to exceed two years. The Company believes that it has substantive grounds for the appeal and intends to vigorously pursue the matter...."

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Nestle Launches NESTLE(R) GOOD START(R) Supreme Soy DHA & ARA
Thursday November 11, 1:08 pm ET
"GLENDALE, Calif., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- As soy products continue to move more mainstream in the diet of Americans, Nestle USA, part of Nestle S.A., a world leader in infant nutrition, announces the national launch of a soy version of the popular infant formula NESTLE GOOD START Supreme DHA & ARA. Though experts agree breastmilk is best, moms who cannot or choose not to breastfeed will be comforted to know that now there is complete iron-fortified nutrition in a milk-free, lactose-free formula that uniquely combines both Supreme Soy Proteins specially designed to be easy-to-digest and DHA& ARA for healthy brain and eye development...."

Monday, November 08, 2004

Edinburgh Student Newspaper : News : Deceit and malpractice at Nestlé debate
Deceit and malpractice at Nestlé debate
"With the ‘Freedom of Choice’ motion due to be voted on at the AGM this Wednesday, representatives from Nestlé and Baby Milk Action came together last week to debate, argue and accuse. Nestlé is one of the world’s largest multinational food companies, with an annual turnover of £39 billion, and the largest share of the baby food market. Baby Milk Action is the United Kingdom member of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), a pressure group formed to fight against “baby food marketing malpractice.”

Debate
The debate took place on Wednesday in the David Hume Tower with Hilary Parsons, Head of Corporate Affairs of Nestlé UK, and Mike Brady, Baby Milk Action’s Campaigns and Network Coordinator, representing the two camps. There is currently a boycott in all EUSA venues on Nestlé products, yet this could be repealed on Wednesday if there is enough favourable student support. The central issue concerns Nestlé’s ‘aggressive marketing’ of its breast milk substitutes in the developing world...."

Tuesday, November 02, 2004

Plant's baby formula called 'filthy': "
Louie Gilot
El Paso Times
Nov. 02, 2004
"An El Paso manufacturer allegedly relabeled animal feed containing dirt and flies as baby formula and shipped it to be sold in Mexico. The Texas attorney general filed a lawsuit against Milky Way Traders Inc., of 115 Montoya Lane in El Paso, for allegedly buying dried milk intended for use as animal feed only, mixing and packaging it 'under filthy conditions,' and selling the product as infant formula to Mexican food manufacturers, court documents read. 'We are committed to protecting the health and safety of Texas children, and when a Texas company acts recklessly so as to endanger infants of families in Mexico we will take prompt action to stop it,' Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a written statement released Monday...."
KFOXTV.com - News - Contaminated Baby Formula Found In El Paso Warehouse
"Shipments of a contaminated infant formula are stopped here in El Paso. Monday Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott secured an emergency restraining order against Milky Way Traders to stop shipments to Mexico...."

Monday, November 01, 2004

Yahoo! News - 'Superbug' Can Be Passed on in Breast Milk
Health - Reuters
By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Breast milk has been identified as the source of the 'superbug' known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) In two outbreaks among newborns in Los Angeles. Dr. Dawn M Terashita, of the LA County Health Department described the cases in Washington DC at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are a "vulnerable population," she told Reuters Health. MRSA outbreaks are common in newborn nurseries, and the main way the infection is spread is thought to be person-to-person via hand contact...."
Yahoo! News - 'Superbug' Can Be Passed on in Breast Milk
Health - Reuters
By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - "Breast milk has been identified as the source of the 'superbug' known as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) In two outbreaks among newborns in Los Angeles. Dr. Dawn M Terashita, of the LA County Health Department described the cases in Washington DC at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are a "vulnerable population," she told Reuters Health. MRSA outbreaks are common in newborn nurseries, and the main way the infection is spread is thought to be person-to-person via hand contact...."
Premature Help
QuadCity Times
Features: Health
Last Updated: 10:33 pm, Sunday, October 31st, 2004
By Rachelle Treiber
"In a freezer at University Hospitals in Iowa City sit hundreds of bottles of breast milk,  each donated from a breast-feeding mother — and each with the potential to help save the life of a premature baby. At the Iowa City research hospital, and in other neonatal intensive care units across the country, critically ill preemies fight to survive.
Some, as tiny as 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, could fit into the palm of an adult hand. Kelli Odom, Davenport, comforts her premature newborn, Maysun, at University Hospitals in Iowa City...."

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Freezing, refrigerating breast milk lowers its antioxidant content: study
Lorrayne Anthony, Canadian Press, October 21, 2004
"TORONTO (CP) - Refrigerating or freezing expressed breast milk, a practice many women use when returning to the workforce after maternity leave, lowers its antioxidant content, a new study has found. "We find fresh breast milk contains more antioxidants than refrigerated breast milk or frozen breast milk or formula," said Thomas Hegyi of the department of pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. He is one of the authors of the study to be published Saturday in the Fetal and Neonatal edition of the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood..." [This article actually contains a comparison of antioxidant values in fresh, refrigerated, and frozen breastmilk and the comparative values in formula - JC]

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

BBC NEWS | Health | Stored breast milk loses its edge
Wednesday, 20 October, 2004, 23:02 GMT 00:02 UK
"Freezing or refrigerating expressed breast milk for longer than 48 hours substantially lowers its antioxidant content, according to US researchers. Antioxidants help beat infections, making the findings particularly important for premature babies who have low natural defences, they say. Formula milk remained stable whether refrigerated or frozen, the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School team found. The small study appears in Archives of Disease in Childhood... "

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

y
UPDATED: 5:15 pm EDT October 13, 2004
" PITTSBURGH -- Anyone that's a mother knows the benefits of breastfeeding. Studies show it can strengthen a child's immune system and help in their development. Now, new research led by a local pediatrician, shows it can reduce the risk of obesity in some children as well. Dr. Debra Bogen, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, was one of the lead researchers in the study, which looked at 13,000 children. Bogen said, 'What we found in our study is that women need to breastfeed for at least four months without any formula, or six months with some formula in order to see a benefit of reduced obesity in their children at age 4.' Among those who were breastfed for at least four months without formula or at least six months with formula, the risk of obesity was reduced 30-45 percent..."
Scoop: Breastfeeding Petition Tabled in the House
Thursday, 14 October 2004, 8:59 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
"Today Steve Chadwick MP congratulated the hard work of Liz Weatherly whose petition was tabled in Parliament today. Over 8000 signatures were collected illustrating huge public support to mothers who want to breastfeed in public places...."
Holy Rosary clinic offers express flu shot service
October 13, 2004
Last modified October 13, 2004 - 12:28 am
Health digest - billingsgazette.com
"MILES CITY - Holy Rosary Healthcare Clinic will offer special express service for flu shots Oct. 19-21 from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. People at high risk for complications from influenza are encouraged to get a flu shot. Holy Rosary Healthcare Clinic's express service will cost $15. After Oct. 21, flu shots will be available, but not as an express service. Children 9 to 18 years old must have a written prescription and parental consent. Children under 9 must get flu shots from their own physician. Pregnant women must also have a written prescription from their physician.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best defense against influenza is to get vaccinated each year, preferably in October and November...."

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Parents Affect Kids' Heart Disease Risk : "
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter, Forbes.com:
"TUESDAY, Oct. 12 (HealthDayNews) -- What parents do -- and don't do -- before the birth of a child and through the early years of life has a significant effect on the child's risk of developing heart disease as an adult, two studies find. One study of Australian women and their children found that a woman's smoking habits during pregnancy, her decision on breast-feeding, and even her weight affected a child's blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease. And a study that hits closer to home found that a startlingly large percentage of American teens have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, obesity, and bad cholesterol readings. It's a finding the lead researcher attributes to a lack of parental guidance..."

Saturday, October 09, 2004

NGO with grit defeats Heinz, Nestle, Amul … - Sify.com
Saturday, 09 October , 2004, 10:23
"The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) looks like a humdrum NGO working out of a cramped office in dusty North Delhi. It employs a handful of people and is headed by an earnest doctor. In May this year BPNI won a major victory in its long battle against baby food manufacturers. It got the Union Government to amend the Infant Milk Substitutes Act of 1993 and ban advertisements and promotions of baby food for children below the age of two. The ban went into effect from November 1, 2003. This was a defining moment for BPNI and yet the news barely found mention. Over the years, the breastfeeding cause has lost its lustre. The media has buried it. Feminists shrug indifferently. The jhollawallas look bored...."

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Baring the injustice of breast-feeding ban
Monday, October 04, 2004
Connie Schultz
Plain Dealer Columnist
"The first time my daughter poked a hole bigger than Texas right through my logic was when we talked about sex. Actually, it wasn't about sex, not really, or at least it didn't start out that way. But the issue of men came up. Then it was about sex, even though it still wasn't about sex as far as we were concerned, but you know how that goes."

Saturday, October 02, 2004

Breast is not best for every situation
The Sunday Times - Ireland
October 03, 2004
Comment: Brenda Power:
"Joining a seemingly tireless campaign to convince women that breast milk is an even better thing than sliced bread, the Department of Health and Children wrote to 476 restaurants asking them to support a new breastfeeding initiative. By the time the launch of the scheme was announced to coincide with the start of National Breastfeeding Week last Thursday, less than a quarter of those restaurants had replied positively. Now the hospitality industry was not being asked to facilitate live lunchtime sex shows on the premises of restaurants and cafes — it was simply being asked to adopt a policy of welcoming and assisting women who wanted to nurse their babies while they dined out. Just 105 of the premises approached are now backing the scheme...."

Friday, October 01, 2004

Missoulian: Despite toxins found during study, woman says don't give up on breast milk
By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian
"When Heather Latino, a Missoula attorney, agreed to participate last year in a study that would determine the amount of the toxic flame retardant known as PBDE (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in her breast milk, she knew the results wouldn't sway her decision to breast-feed her daughter, Gabriella. That's important, said Dori Gilels, who helped organize the Montana portion of the Pacific Northwest study...."

Thursday, September 30, 2004

Breast milk helps sick kids

Royal City Record Now
By Christina Myers - Record Reporter
"Thirty years ago, a young child became very sick. He wasn't growing properly, was having gastrointestinal problems and couldn't eat or keep food down. Doctors at the then-B.C. Children's Hospital tried a number of interventions, but nothing worked. Finally, they decided to give the child breast milk - not from his own mother, since he was no longer an infant and her milk had long since stopped coming - but milk donated by another mother. The child began to thrive and and soon got better...."

Monday, September 27, 2004

Aidsmap | Short course AZT for breastfeeding mothers: warning of viral rebound when AZT stopped
Michael Carter, Monday, September 27, 2004
"The use of AZT (zidovudine, Retrovir) by mothers to prevent the transmission of HIV to their babies lowers HIV viral load in breastmilk and reduces the risk of postnatal HIV transmission, according to a study published in the October 15th edition of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. However, the study also established that when women stop taking AZT prophylaxis there is a temporary burst in HIV replication in breast milk, increasing infant exposure to the virus and the risks of infection with HIV. Because of this fidning the investigators recommend that mothers should continue to take AZT prophylaxis as long as they breastfeed...."

Friday, September 24, 2004

Taking the breastfeeding challenge
September 24, 2004
Welcome to the Whistler Question!
By Tim Shoults
Reporter
"Squamish mothers have a chance to be part of a record-breaking event next weekend just by doing what comes naturally. On Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. mothers and babies at sites across Canada and the United States will compete to set the record for the most babies breastfeeding at one time. The winners of the competition will be the province, territory or state with the most babies participating as a percentage of the birth rate. To level the playing field between large and small, each site will be entered into one of four groups determined by birth rate. This event takes place as part of the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week in Canada. It is sponsored by the Quintessence Foundation, a non-profit group providing education to parents and professionals about breastfeeding...."
Nestlé announces R&D center closing
The New Milford Spectrum
September 24, 2004
By Lynda Wellman
and Mark Langlois
STAFF WRITERS
"The town of New Milford, still reeling from recent layoffs at Kimberly-Clark Corp., has been hit with another major job cut at the local Nestlé facility. Last week, Nestlé officials announced that their Food Service Beverage Systems Research and Development program in New Milford would be transferred to Marysville, Ohio, and to product technology centers in Switzerland. That corporate decision will affect 100 employees in New Milford. All told, the layoffs at Kimberly-Clark and Nestlé — for decades twin pillars of the local economy — mean that since late July about 425 employees at the two businesses have learned that their jobs are transferred, gone or soon to be gone.
"

Thursday, September 23, 2004

In the lap of luxury / Enterprising bachelor markets a pillow for nursing moms
Pia Sarkar, Chronicle Staff Writer
Thursday, September 23, 2004
"The person who created a pillow to give women support while breastfeeding is not who you might expect. It is not a woman. It is not even a parent. It is a 39-year-old San Francisco bachelor who had never even picked up an infant until he created My Brest Friend. In the nine years since his product hit the market, Andrew Zenoff has sold more than 1 million My Brest Friends, which are available in several San Francisco hospitals, as well as at such retail chains as Wal-Mart, Babies R Us, and most recently, Pottery Barn Kids...."
New science to drive whey fractions market
23/09/2004
Foodproductiondaily.com
"More science is needed to encourage food and drink makers to invest in new formulations using third generation whey products, finds a new report that suggests more clinical trials and documentation could overcome this barrier to growth, reports Lindsey Partos. Representing about 3,100 tonnes in 2003, the small but high value-added whey fractions market - lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, colostrum/IgG, a-lactalbumin, b-lactoglobulin and glycomacropeptides - is currently enjoying strong growth, in some geographical areas hitting 20 per cent per year. Compared to other dairy ingredients, whey and its various fractions hold some of the most promising value for the food and dairy industries. With improved methods for extraction and purification, whey fractions can extend product development possibilities with new nutrition and functionality. “This is a game for the most advanced dairy ingredients companies, working with leading-edge end users,” Tage Affertsholt, an analyst at 3A Business Consulting said toFoodNavigator.com. And even though these advanced dairy ingredients firms are all working in the niche area of fractions, there are still specialists. In Europe Danish firm Arla leads in alpha-lactalbumin (largely used in infant formula), and Dutch firm DMV in lactoferrin, the increasingly popular meat preserver. French firm Armor Proteines, and Germany’s Milei are also carving a niche in the market. Strong on production, these dairy ingredients firms are taking their know-how to end-users further a field. “Some of the most advanced companies in production in Europe – such as Arla, DMV, Armor and Borculo Domo - are working with end users in other geographical zones,”explained Affertsholt. “Milei, for example, has an alliance with Japanese firm Morinaga.” Whey is comprised of protein, lactose (milk sugar), minerals (calcium, phosphorus and magnesium) and fat. Whey protein contains alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, heavy and light - chain immunoglobulins(Igs), and proteose-peptones. Traditionally, whey was a by-product with a negative value from cheese production, but in the 1950s the US started to add value to the by-product and since this time the ingredient has seen a considerable rise in demand, notably on the back of the sports nutrition and functional food market which uses whey protein concentrates and isolates extensively. In 2002 consumption of all whey products came in at nearly 770,000 tonnes..."
BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Breastfeeding right up for debate
"A backbench MSP has urged the Scottish Parliament to back new laws which would make it a criminal offence to stop women breastfeeding in public. Under Elaine Smith's bill, businesses and public organisations could be fined up to £2,500 if they stop women from breastfeeding on their premises. The proposal has the backing of Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm and Holyrood's health committee. The issue is to be debated in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday..."

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Local companies make Working Mother's list
- 2004-09-21 - Business First of Columbus
LATEST NEWS
11:03 AM EDT Tuesday
"American Electric Power Company Inc., and several other notable Central Ohio employers, made Working Mother Magazine's list of the '100 Best Companies for Working Mothers.' AEP, a Columbus-based energy business, provides six weeks of paid leave for new mothers and financial assistance for adoptive parents, according to the magazine. It also offers 'flextime' and 'telecommuting.'...Other employers with Central Ohio operations that made the list are Lucent Technologies; JPMorgan Chase & Co., which recently bought Bank One Corp.; and Abbott Laboratories Inc., the parent company of Columbus-based Ross Products. Ross Products, which specializes in infant formula, provides moms access to a lactation consultant and use of a private lactation room."

Friday, September 17, 2004

OHIO HOSPITAL TO OPEN BREAST MILK BANK
by: Associated Press
"Grant Medical Center plans to open Ohio's first breast milk bank in Columbus by the end of the year.The Mothers' Milk Bank of Central Ohio will process, screen and distribute the milk. Besides helping premature babies, doctors say milk banks are also helpful for mothers trying to feed multiples, like twins or triplets. ..."
Geneva scheme offers hope for working mothers
Swiss news from swissinfo, the Swiss news platform
Friday 17.09.2004, CET 20:43
"When voters go to the polls on September 26, they will be deciding whether to introduce statutory paid maternity leave for working mothers across the country. Geneva is the only Swiss canton to offer such benefits and local officials say the system’s success proves that it could work nationwide.“On a cantonal level, the experience for workers and employers has been very positive,” said Pierre-Antoine Gobet, of Geneva’s Health and Social Services Department.
“Financially, politically and socially, it has proven very satisfactory,” he told swissinfo. “And ultimately, it is beneficial for both the mothers and children.”...
"
Even without supportive boss, new moms can breastfeed
SouthBendTribune.com
September 16, 2004
MICHIANA POINT OF VIEW
By GAIL DESOMER
"It's very true that women could use more support in the workplace in order to be more successful at providing breast milk for their babies. In nations where maternity leaves are longer, breastfeeding initiation and duration rates are longer. In the United States, Healthy People 2010 goals are for 75 percent of women to initiate breastfeeding, 50 percent of women to breast-feed until six months and 25 percent of women to breast-feed their children to one year of age. Area South Bend hospitals have initiation rates of around 70 percent, but to my knowledge duration rates are not tracked. In 2000, the U.S. breastfeeding rate was 64 percent with only 20 percent breastfeeding at six months and 16 percent breastfeeding at one year. Women do need support in the workplace, both in break time provided for them and a clean location to express their milk. Jennifer Butler (Voice of the People, Aug. 18) concludes because of these difficulties, many women will opt to formula-feed. She goes on to state that formula is as nourishing as breast milk. This statement could not be more false! Formula and breast milk are not equivalent and there are thousands of scientific studies that support the superiority of breast milk...."

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

Breastfeeding Not the Key to Quick Fat Loss
Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:21 AM ET
Health News Article | Reuters.com
By Charnicia E. Huggins
"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - For new mothers trying to lose those extra pounds, breastfeeding may not be the surefire answer that many women consider it to be, according to two Cincinnati researchers. In their study, all women -- whether they breastfed or not -- lost body fat after giving birth. However, the moms who did not breastfeed lost weight quicker during the first six months after delivery than did breastfeeding mothers. 'It is important that women are aware that, although there are many advantages to breastfeeding, faster loss of the fat gained during pregnancy is not likely to be one of those advantages,' study author Dr. Karen S. Wosje, of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center told Reuters Health. Despite anecdotal evidence cited by some women, conflicting reports exist about the link between breastfeeding and postpartum weight loss. In one study, researchers reported greater weight loss among breastfeeding mothers up to 12 months after delivery in comparison to mothers who did not breastfeed. In another, no such association was found...."
Breastfeeding Protects Against Asthma, Allergy: "
Health News Article | Reuters.com
Tue Sep 14, 2004 02:19 PM ET
"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who are not exclusively breastfed during the first 6 months of infancy have a higher risk of asthma and allergy, according to a report from Australia. Dr. Wendy H. Oddy, of the University of Western Australia, West Perth, and colleagues examined the association between breastfeeding, asthma and atopy -- a propensity to various allergies -- in 2195 children followed from birth to 6 years."
SOURCE: American Journal of Public Health, September 2004.

Sunday, September 12, 2004

After baby, it's time to get back to grind
San Mateo County Times Online - Business News
Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 3:33:41 AM PST
Some new mothers have no choice, but it's still becomes quite a balancing act
By Amy Joyce, Washington Post
"WASHINGTON -- After her son was born 14 months ago, Denise Lane-White returned to her job as a patent attorney with a bit of trepidation, like many mothers who return from maternity leave. But also like many moms, she was looking forward to getting back to work, although she knew the transition would not be simple after 12 paid weeks of maternity leave and two weeks of vacation time. 'It was actually a little easier than I expected,' she said. 'I missed the intellectual stimulation of my job. I maybe also prepared myself for being totally devastated. I was sad, and I missed my baby during the day. But it wasn't the (all)-encompassing devastation I expected.' Lane-White returned to work on a Thursday. That way, she didn't have to dive into a full workweek without her baby. Her firm, Blank Rome LLP in Washington, offered her a quiet, private room to pump her breast milk during the day. But instead, she used her office so she could continue to work. Co-workers knew to stay clear when the 'meeting in progress' sign was taped to her closed door. She bought a mini refrigerator so she 'didn't have to put my breast milk next to people's moldy lunches,' she said...."

Friday, September 10, 2004

Natural birth no longer the norm in Canada
The Globe and Mail
A new study shows that three quarters of the nation's births involve surgical interventions, which may be overused in some regions and inaccessible in others, writes ANDRÉ PICARD
Friday, September 10, 2004 - Page A15
"When Gillian Brouse learned she was pregnant earlier this year, her obstetrician immediately suggested a scheduled cesarean section. Despite an earlier surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which placed her at higher risk of complications, she declined. When labour began last Friday, Ms. Brouse was again offered the option of a cesarean. She said no. But she was equipped with a fetal monitor and agreed to surgical induction, the breaking of her water, to speed up the birthing process. Two hours later, her daughter Cléo was born at the Ottawa Hospital. 'In the end, it was a short, uneventful labour,' Ms. Brouse said in an interview. Cléo's arrival into the world, surrounded by technology and omnipresent surgical options, was also typical. In fact, three in four births in Canada now involve some form of surgical intervention: C-sections, epidurals, forceps, vacuum extraction and episiotomies are all commonplace, according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information...." [This study is receiving a lot of attention in Canada, with regional news outlets reporting local statistics. André Picard has done a good job of hilighting the overall rate of intervention and questioning the wide regional variances in rates of intervention. What's missing are statistics on whether or not outcomes also vary by region, and a discussion of the costs of interventions. - JC]
Natural birth no longer the norm in Canada
The Globe and Mail
A new study shows that three quarters of the nation's births involve surgical interventions, which may be overused in some regions and inaccessible in others, writes ANDRÉ PICARD
Friday, September 10, 2004 - Page A15
"When Gillian Brouse learned she was pregnant earlier this year, her obstetrician immediately suggested a scheduled cesarean section. Despite an earlier surgery to remove uterine fibroids, which placed her at higher risk of complications, she declined. When labour began last Friday, Ms. Brouse was again offered the option of a cesarean. She said no. But she was equipped with a fetal monitor and agreed to surgical induction, the breaking of her water, to speed up the birthing process. Two hours later, her daughter Cléo was born at the Ottawa Hospital. 'In the end, it was a short, uneventful labour,' Ms. Brouse said in an interview. Cléo's arrival into the world, surrounded by technology and omnipresent surgical options, was also typical. In fact, three in four births in Canada now involve some form of surgical intervention: C-sections, epidurals, forceps, vacuum extraction and episiotomies are all commonplace, according to a new report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information...." [This study is receiving a lot of attention in Canada, with regional news outlets reporting local statistics. André Picard has done a good job of hilighting the overall rate of intervention and questioning the wide regional variances in rates of intervention. What's missing are statistics on whether or not outcomes also vary by region, and a discussion of the costs of interventions. - JC]

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Martek Comments on FDA Announcement of Cardiovascular Qualified Health Claim for DHA
"Martek Comments on FDA Announcement of Cardiovascular Qualified Health Claim for DHA
Thursday September 9, 2:42 pm ET
"COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq:MATK - News) commented today on yesterday's FDA announcement allowing conventional foods and dietary supplements containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to make a qualified health claim for reduced risk of coronary heart disease on their product packaging. The claim was, in part, a result of Martek's petition to the FDA in November of 2003. A qualified health claim must be supported by credible scientific evidence. Upon review of this scientific evidence, the FDA concluded that supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease...."

Tuesday, September 07, 2004

Herald.com | 09/07/2004 | Toddlers often overcome allergy to milk
Posted on Tue, Sep. 07, 2004
BY HOWARD COHEN
hcohen@herald.com
"The slogan ''Milk, it does a body good'' doesn't apply to everyone. At 1 month old, Grace Fleitas' baby Amanda began exhibiting the classic signs of a milk allergy: irritability, bloody stools, diarrhea. After initially being breast fed, Amanda was being fed infant formula. ''She was really cranky, always crying,'' the Hialeah mother said. Fleitas, who never suffered from a milk allergy, tried formulas for colicky babies. When that didn't help, she took Amanda to Dr. Robert E. Kramer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Miami's Pediatric Gastroenterology division. Kramer put Amanda on EleCare, an amino-based infant pharmaceutical formula. After about six months, Amanda, now 18 months, can tolerate milk...."
KV Pharmaceutical Company Launches PrimaCare(R)ONE - First Prenatal Containing Essential Fatty Acids to Offer One Dose Convenience
Tuesday September 7, 8:07 am ET
Launch of PrimaCare(R)ONE Expands Ther-Rx's Continuum of Care for Women and Strengthens Leadership Position in Prescription Prenatals
"ST. LOUIS, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- KV Pharmaceutical Company (NYSE: KVa/KVb) announced today that its Ther-Rx Corporation branded pharmaceutical subsidiary has launched PrimaCare®ONE. PrimaCare®ONE is a proprietary line extension to Ther-Rx's PrimaCare® nutritional product, one of the fastest growing prescription prenatal products in the branded segment with 9.3% market share....PrimaCare®ONE is formulated to provide both prenatal and postnatal nutritional support for mothers and babies, and ongoing nutritional support for women throughout their childbearing years with the convenience of one- dose-per-day dosage form. The product further extends Ther-Rx's leadership in marketing innovative branded pharmaceuticals to women in their childbearing years as part of its PreCare® family prescription nutritional product line...."

Wednesday, September 01, 2004

Some Bus Drivers Ban Breastfeeding, Protesters Allege
LATimes.com
LOS ANGELES
August 31, 2004
"A group of protesters accused Metropolitan Transportation Authority drivers of breaking a state law that allows women to breastfeed in public and picketed Tuesday outside its downtown Los Angeles headquarters. MTA officials apologized for drivers who have asked women to stop breastfeeding, but said they have no policy that bans breastfeeding on buses or trains...."

Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Parents warned crying policy was wrong (August 27, 2004)By Medical Writer JILL PENGELLEY
news.com.au
August 27, 2004
"PARENTS who ignore a baby's crying are setting the child up for a lifetime of insecurity and stress, says a child health consultant. Melbourne author Pinky McKay will speak out against 'controlled crying' at an Adelaide midwifery conference tomorrow. The practice, advocated by Child and Youth Health during the 1990s, involves leaving a baby to cry for increasingly longer periods before providing comfort....The Australasian Midwifery Expo, to be held at the Festival Theatre, will also hear arguments for and against "co-sleeping". ..."

Monday, August 30, 2004

Cargill enters joint venture
The Business Journal (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
5:19 PM CDT Monday- 2004-08-30
"Minnetonka-based Cargill Inc. will enter the arachidonic acid (ARA) business through a joint venture with Wuhan Alking Bioengineering Co. Ltd., a Chinese company that serves the infant formula business...."
Oregon: Number 1 In Nursing
Mothering Magazine -- News Bulletins August 2004
"Exclusive breastfeeding (no supplemental solids or liquids) has a new national champion. A recent federal study shows Oregon is the only state where more than 26 percent of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding their infants at six months of age. 'This is positive health news for Oregon,' says Donalda Dodson, manager of child and family health programs for the state..."

Saturday, August 28, 2004

STUFF : HEALTH - STORY : New Zealand's leading news and information website
28 August 2004
"Food safety officials say they won't recall the batch of infant formula which killed a Waikato baby last month. The premature baby died after being fed infant formula in Waikato Hospital, made up from powder contaminated with a bacterium, Enterobacter sakazakii. A spokesman for the hospital, Waikato District Health Board (DHB) neonatal specialist Phil Weston, yesterday declined to disclose what infant formula brand was contaminated, its batch number, or details of its packaging 'as there are contractual and statutory obligations that need to be considered'."

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Scoop: Powdered milk warning labels must be mandatory: "Powdered milk warning labels must be mandatory
Friday, 27 August 2004, 11:39 am
Press Release: Green Party


Powdered milk warning labels must be mandatory

Green MP Sue Kedgley is calling for mandatory warning labels on powdered milk formula in the wake of the tragedy at Waikato Hospital’s neonatal unit, where a premature baby died after being infected by bacteria believed to have come from a powdered milk formula.

“Parents must be given adequate information about the risks of powdered infant formula so they can avoid feeding it to newborn infants and opt for breastfeeding or ready made liquid formula instead,” said Ms Kedgley, the Green Party’s Safe Food spokesperson."
tvnz.co.nz | NEWS | HEALTH | Warning over powdered formula issued
TV.NZ.co.nz
August 26, 2004
"Health and food safety officials have issued strong warnings about using powdered milk formula following the death of a premature baby in Waikato. Officials say the baby's death was linked to a bacteria called Enterobacter sakazakii which can be found in the environment and in low levels in infant formula. Dr Pat Tuohy from the Health Ministry says the six week premature baby developed an infection, which was treated at the time, but depsite the prompt treatment the baby developed meningitis and died...."

Monday, August 23, 2004

Study: Oregon a leader in breast-feeding rates; Only state with more than 25 percent, feds say

From Bend.com news sources
Last Updated: Monday, August 23, 2004 1:12 PM
Reference Code: PR-17490
"August 23 - A new federal study shows Oregon is a leader in breastfeeding rates, according to public health officials in the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS). The survey, conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that Oregon was the only state to have more than 25 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeeding their infants at six months of age...."

Friday, August 20, 2004

Breastfeeding Benefits
NBC Newschannel 6
August 20, 2004
"August has been declared world breast feeding month - a chance for health officials to pass on information about breastfeeding your baby. From physical to mental well-being, experts say there are lots of reasons for mothers to breast feed their children. Jeremy Couchexplains why so many doctors say new mothers should latch on to the idea. Breastfeeding is no longer considered to be a lifestyle choice, but a significant health and medical choice for both mother and baby...."

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Baby formula plant grows in 80th year
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
By Myron Kukla
The Grand Rapids Press
"ZEELAND -- West Michigan's strong dairy industry brought Mead Johnson &Co. to the area in 1924 to provide the company with a ready supply of milk for its powdered infant formula. Mead Johnson Nutritionals on Tuesday celebrated eight decades of making baby formula from its plant on Main Street in Zeeland with an anniversary party and building dedication for a new $20 million formula drying facility. Zeeland Mayor Les Hoogland said the company is part of the history and growth of the city...." [I wonder what the breastfeeding rate is in Zeeland... - JC]

Monday, August 16, 2004

Mom's milk isn't better for brains of some premature babies
Medical News Today
August 17, 2004
"Contrary to the results suggested by earlier studies, mother's breast milk may not provide significant help to the brain development of very low birth weight preterm babies, according to new research in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioural Pediatrics. The study by Lydia Furman, M.D., of Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland and colleagues found that other influences such as health problems at birth, and social factors such as the mother's race, marriage and education were more important in predicing any mental and motor development problems among the infants...."

Thursday, August 12, 2004

news@nature.com - WHO to define ideal for child growth
Published online: 11 August 2004;
Helen Pearson
"The World Health Organization (WHO) is rewriting the rulebook on how fast and fat children should grow. Their new healthy growth guidelines, due to be released next year, should help fight malnutrition and obesity. At present, health workers worldwide judge whether babies and children are growing fast enough based on standard curves of height and weight drawn up in the 1970s. The figures were calculated by collecting data on US children, who were mainly fed infant formula...."
Migrants tell tale of horror

By MARINA JIMÉNEZ and COLIN FREEZE
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
"A boatload of starving migrants from the Dominican Republic resorted to drinking breast milk and eating human flesh on an ill-fated crossing to Puerto Rico that left at least 40 people dead, according to some survivors and rescuers...."
Australia to open breast milk bank to help babies
Agence France-Presse
Melbourne, August 12
"Australia's first breast milk bank will open for business next year to meet a growing demand from ageing mothers and premature babies, the centre's founder said Thursday. Lactation consultant Margaret Callaghan said the private clinic will offer pasteurised breast milk to hospitals treating newborns and to mothers who cannot produce enough milk...."

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

CTV.ca | Anti-depressants may put unborn babies at risk
CTV.ca News Staff
"Women who take some anti-depressant drugs late during their pregnancies may be putting their babies at risk, Health Canada is warning. The department issued an advisory Monday about the Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) anti-depressants. The drugs include: bupropion (Zyban, whether used for depression or for smoking cessation); fluoxetine (Prozac); paroxetine (Paxil); citalopram (Celexa); venlafaxine (Effexor); fluvoxamine (Luvox); mirtazapine; and sertraline. Pregnant women should consult their doctor but should not discontinue the drugs abruptly, since this can also lead to intense side effects. 'Untreated depression in moms can be very dangerous -- more suicide ideas, more suicide attempts, more post-partum depression,' said Dr. Gideon Koren....Health Canada says newborns may be adversely affected when pregnant women take the drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy. The babies can develop complications at birth requiring prolonged hospitalization, breathing support and tube feeding...."

Monday, August 09, 2004

AP Wire | 08/08/2004 | Ohio hospital close to establishing state's first breast milk bank
Akron Beacon Journal
Associated Press
Sunday, August 8, 2004
"COLUMBUS, Ohio - A 3-pound baby boy born prematurely at Grant Medical Center lacked the reflexes to nurse from his mother, who was also struggling to produce milk. Little Tristan Casto needed the enzymes and hormones found only in human milk to ward off infection and to grow bigger and healthier. The hospital had frozen milk shipped from a Texas milk bank, which was fed to Tristan through a stomach tube. He is now healthy, his mother said. Soon, Grant Medical Center plans to have the state's first milk bank, so milk won't need to be shipped frozen, overnight from other states for babies like Tristan...."

Thursday, August 05, 2004

Few Mothers Meet Breastfeeding Goals, Study Shows

Few Mothers Meet Breastfeeding Goals, Study Shows
Thu Aug 5, 2004 10:55 AM ET
"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only 14 percent of U.S. mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for the minimum recommended six months, according to government data released on Thursday. New state-by-state statistics show that Oregon has the highest rate of mothers meeting the minimum standards, but even there just 25 percent are able to give their babies breast milk and nothing else for six months, the report shows...."
Mums unite for national breast fest
National - www.theage.com.au
August 5, 2004 - 5:12PM
"Mothers and babies across Australia will embark on a feeding frenzy tomorrow in an effort to reclaim a world record for simultaneous breastfeeding. Breast Fest 2004 coordinator Lee King, who is also a director of the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), said the event would be held in eight major venues and other regional centres across the country, starting at noon (AEST). 'We will be setting a new world record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously across Australia,' she said. 'But also we are hoping to break the world record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously in the one venue. The latter record was set by 787 mums and babies in Adelaide in 1999, but a group in the United States beat it by 343 in 2002, she said...."

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Seeking a formula to protect infants from AIDS
August 4, 2004
BY SANDRA GUY SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
"Researchers are fighting two unfortunate realities in their efforts to stop AIDS in Africa. First, the ravages of disease there have become too routine to make the daily news headlines. About 70 percent of the world's 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS and 90 percent of the world's HIV/AIDS-infected children live in sub-Saharan Africa. Second, most medical products aimed at fighting AIDS, including vaccines, condoms and therapeutic drugs, must be given away to the poor in Africa. There's no profit potential from developing and making free products, and thus no interest from venture capitalists. Undaunted, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago are pursuing a potential solution to the problem of AIDS being transmitted by infected mothers to their infants during breast-feeding. The problem is critical in sub-Saharan Africa because most women cannot afford infant formula, and even if they could, many infants fed formula have died because of contaminated water."
Drowning in expectations
Cheryl Rosenberg Neubert
The Orange County Register
Aug. 4, 2004 12:00 AM
"Of course I was going to breast-feed. There I would sit, ensconced in my light blue glider rocker, a halo of soft light surrounding me as my baby nursed at my breast. I’d smile beatifically at him, satisfied in my womanly ability to provide the perfect nourishment for my beautiful boy. Then my son Sawyer was born, and as fast as you can say flatnipplesnomilkpoorsuck, my idyllic image was shattered like the wail of a hungry infant breaks a quiet night. The most natural thing in the world seemed completely impossible. I could not feed my child. What was wrong with me?..."

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Scoop: Call to Protect Breastfeeding Workers
Wednesday, 4 August 2004, 10:38 am
Press Release: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
"Women returning to work after having a child should have their right to continue breastfeeding protected by law, Council of Trade Unions secretary Carol Beaumont said today, marking World Breastfeeding Week. Employers had been slow to voluntarily introduce breastfeeding breaks, so the CTU supported a legislated right to breastfeeding breaks and facilities upon return to work...."

Sunday, August 01, 2004

100 Million to go to Victims of Baby-Formula Tragedy

Arutz Sheva - Israel National News
17:25 Aug 01, '04 / 14 Av 5764
"Humana, the German parent company of baby-formula distributor Remedia, has agreed to pay $100 million to the 17 families of children who died or whose health suffered as a result of a vitamin-deficient soy-based baby formula. Israel's Channel 2 television station reported that the damages would be the largest ever paid in Israel's history...."
Breastfeeding at work - newsleader.com
By Maria Longley/staff
mlongley@newsleader.com
"Tricia LaGrua nurses her 3-month-old son Braddock. LaGrua, a clinical social worker, returned to work part-time after she had her first child, Gabriel, now 2, and would pump milk between clients. She has decided to stay home longer after having Braddock. Spending the first six weeks at home with a new baby is tough work. But for moms who want to continue breastfeeding on the job, the thought of going back to work can be as daunting as anticipating labor pain. Will my boss and co-workers understand my need to pump, or if possible, nurse (especially if my boss is a man)? Where can I find a private spot to pump at work? Can I make enough time to pump Once she's started, a nursing mom has to feed her child or pump regularly to maintain her milk supply, so making arrangements early can mean the difference between many months of breastfeeding and giving up in frustration Jenny Deegan had to overcome several challenges when she went back to work as a line supervisor at DuPont, now Invista. She was breastfeeding her son Tyler, now 5...."
Petition seeks legal protection for breastfeeding
Stuff.co.nz
02 August 2004

"An Auckland woman has launched a petition calling for a law to protect rights for breastfeeding in public. Liz Weatherly said she was upset after having to withdraw her son from a childcare centre because staff objected to her breastfeeding the toddler in the cloakroom. Ms Weatherly said in a statement today there was no legal protection in New Zealand for women who experienced hostility or discrimination because they were breastfeeding. 'Young children need to be fed frequently and this means mothers often have to feed in public places...."

Wednesday, July 28, 2004

Breastfeeding ad decision defended: 29 July 2004
NZcity.co.nz
"The organisation which assesses advertisements is standing by its decision not to let a breastfeeding commercial screen when children are watching. The advertisement depicts a girl pretending to breastfeed a doll while having a play tea party. The message is 'why don't we all grow up and take natural things as natural.'..."

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Research and Markets: Baby Foods Market Report 2004; The Future Looks Bright for Baby Foods
July 27, 2004 05:29 AM US Eastern Timezone
"DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2004--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com) has announced the addition of Baby Foods Market Report 2004 to their offering. Despite the falling birth rate, the UK market for baby milks and baby foods has maintained steady growth over the past 5 years (1999 to 2003). A number of factors are responsible for this, including socio-demographic trends, such as the trend for older motherhood and the high proportion of mothers of young children in full- or part-time employment. Innovation by manufacturers has also played an important part in the development of the market, with new products emphasising convenience and health advantages...."

Monday, July 26, 2004

Floridian: When it's time to let goBreast-feeding is so satisfying to a mother and her child that both may be reluctant to quit for fear of losing the closeness it brings.
By MELANIE HUBBARD
Published July 25, 2004
"It's like learning to ride a bicycle. Only they never tell you how to get off. I've been nursing my child for five years now, and I am not particularly inclined to stop. When people ask, I joke that we will stop before she's 18. If my child is in the room, she'll pipe up, 'I'll have Mommy milk when I'm 118!'..."
Why Obese Mothers Abandon Breastfeeding
Cornell University
26.07.2004 
"Studies have shown that overweight and obese mothers are significantly more likely to quit breast-feeding their infants sooner than do healthy-weight mothers. An important reason why is the weaker biological response that heavier women have to their babies’ suckling, according to a study conducted by researchers at Cornell University and Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, N.Y. 'We found that overweight and obese women have a lower prolactin response to suckling,' says Kathleen Rasmussen, professor of nutritional sciences at Cornell and the lead researcher of the study, which is published in the journal Pediatrics (Vol. 113, No. 5, May 2004). Prolactin is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk soon after birth...."
Tallahassee Democrat | 07/26/2004 | FDA warning upsets some nursing moms
Posted on Mon, Jul. 26, 2004
By Michael Precker
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
"Doreen Fisher eats organic food, doesn't touch red meat and tries to avoid taking medication. But when it comes to breast-feeding her son, she makes an exception. ''I don't even take an aspirin,' says Fisher, 36. 'But that's how passionate I feel about breast-feeding my child.' Because of a hormonal condition that limits her natural milk production, Fisher takes domperidone, which she says has enabled her to breast-feed her 8-month-old son, Stone...."


'It's worked wonderfully, and I've never seen any side effects,' says Fisher, who orders the drug from a pharmacy overseas. 'I don't know what I would do without it.'"

Sunday, July 25, 2004

Lead level in corn shipment found 'by accident'

26 July 2004
By COLIN PATTERSON
"The Food Safety Authority says contamination in a shipment of corn from China was discovered by accident. The corn, which contained more than 100 times the safe level of lead, was imported in October. It was then milled before being used by food manufacturers in products such as baby foods, soups, batters and baking goods. The contamination was not detected in tests at the flour mill. Instead it was discovered when the authority tested infant formula as part of its Total Diet Survey. The survey was carried out once every five years, authority spokeswoman Sally Johnston said...."
NEWS.com.au | Women offer breastmilk to chimps (July 26, 2004)
From correspondents in Beijing
"TWO young mothers in China have donated their own breastmilk to help feed two new-born chimpanzees facing malnutrition in Beijing Zoo, state-owned media said. The women, who were identified only by their surnames Pan and Bing, were selected by officials after the zoo issued an urgent notice seeking human milk donors, the Beijing News said...."

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

TheIowaChannel.com - Health - No Charges Filed In Breastfeeding Incident
WEST BRANCH, Iowa -- Prosecutors don't plan to file criminal charges against a West Branch restaurant owner who asked a nursing mother to cover up, go to the restroom or leave. Assistant Cedar County Attorney Sterling Benz said part of what they do is educate the public. He said if he can get restaurant owners to agree it won't happen again, then that might be enough...."
Breast-feeding cuts cancer risk

National Post
July 20, 2004
''This little study highlights in a larger way the importance of breast-feeding,'' said Shail Verma, a medical oncologist with the University of Ottawa's integrated cancer program. ''The bigger picture is that breast-feeding is good for all women.'' The study found breast-feeding for one year or longer cuts the risk even further."... [Excellent story, not a bad headline - but could they have said "not breastfeeding increases cancer risk for women" ? - JC]

Monday, July 19, 2004

Mothers' DHA Levels Linked to Advanced Attentional Development in Their Infants
Monday July 19, 8:23 am ET
COLUMBIA, Md., July 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martek Biosciences Corporation (Nasdaq: MATK - News) today commented on the results of a study published in the July/August 2004 edition of the journal Child Development. The study found that infants whose mothers' had higher blood levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at birth showed more mature forms of attention during their first two years of development. These findings add to the evidence that DHA is an important factor in early development and that women who are pregnant, or intend to become pregnant, should consider supplementing their diets with DHA."

Friday, July 02, 2004

Star - Breastfeeding in first few months reduces HIV risk'
July 2, 2004
The Star
By Jillian Green
"HIV-positive mothers who breastfeed their infants for the first six months of life lower the chance of transmitting the virus, compared to mothers who mix-feed their babies. Exclusive breastfeeding means providing the child with nothing but breast milk, while mixed feeding means giving the child both breast milk and formula. According to a study done by University of KwaZulu Natal paediatrics Professor Anna Coutsoudis, infants who received at least three months of exclusive breastfeeding had a much lower risk of transmission. 'Unfortunately we have only one published study, (but) several studies are trying to confirm this finding,' Coutsoudis said. She added that preliminary data from a study in Zimbabwe showed similar findings...."

Thursday, July 01, 2004

ABC13.com: Mothers stage 'nurse-in' protest at the Galleria
Mothers converged on the Galleria Thursday for a 'nurse-in'.
"By Deborah Wrigley
ABC13 Eyewitness News
(7/01/04 - HOUSTON) — Some shoppers at Houston's Galleria saw an unusual protest Thursday. Some 50 mothers and their babies staged what they call a nurse-in -- a public display of breast feeding to protest the treatment of one mother who had earlier breastfed her baby in public. Texas law allows a woman to breastfeed her child in public. It's been on the books for nine years. But not everyone embraces the idea of breastfeeding in public view and that's what mobilized a small army of angry mothers...."

Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Low levels of breastfeeding put children at risk
Innovations Report
July 1, 2004
"Children in developing countries are being put at unnecessary risk of disease and death as they are fed alternatives to breast milk. According to a study published in BMC Medicine today, the amount of breastfeeding taking place falls a long way short of recommended levels. In 2001 the World Health Organization (WHO) passed a resolution recommending that infants under six months of age were fed exclusively on breast milk, in part to protect them from malnutrition, pneumonia and waterborne diseases. Yet only two in five infants this age from developing countries are fed only on breast milk, and more than five percent of them are not breastfed at all...."

Sunday, June 27, 2004

They put breast milk in Milo and on children's wounds - JUNE 27, 2004
By Arlina Arshad
Straits Times
"THE things some breastfeeding mums do. The mothers dab breast milk on wounds, burns, sore eyes and pimples. They put it in Milo, on breakfast cereal, and serve it to their children, not just their babies.Madam Jilyn Tan-Chew, 41, and Mrs Kymberlie Gay, 32, who are among the prime movers in the 500-strong Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group, believe in the healing power of breast milk...."

Thursday, June 24, 2004

Natrel introduces Low-Fat Omega-3 Milk Beverage in Ontario
CNW Telbec
MARKHAM, ON, June 24 /CNW/ - Natrel, the national leader in value-added milk, today announced the Ontario launch of Natrel Omega-3, a new variety of enriched milk beverage. Natrel Omega-3 achieves the highest standards for a healthy milk beverage with a number of advanced product attributes including:

- Among the highest concentration of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
in milk products available in Ontario
- Recognized as a source of Omega-3 by Health Canada standards
- Low in saturated fat
- A low-fat Omega-3 milk option
..."
Pregnancy Bad for Good Cholesterol
Reuters | Latest Financial News / Full News Coverage
Thu 24 June, 2004 19:19
"NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnancy seems to cause a drop in 'good' HDL cholesterol levels that may persist for up to 10 years, according to the results of a new study....
'Genetic factors, changes in fat distribution, and behavioral practices (breastfeeding) that may offset the negative effects of a first birth on (cholesterol levels) should be examined,' the researchers add.

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology, June 1, 2004."
Rate of childhood strokes has doubled: study
CTV.ca News Staff
June 25, 2004
"Researchers say improved detection and diagnosis can't fully explain a shocking new statistic. Twice as many children are suffering strokes than was previously believed. According to Dr. Gabrielle deVeber, a Hospital for Sick Children pediatric neurologist, hospitals are seeing more and more children like two-year-old William Lewis. Just six hours after he was born, a blood clot choked off the supply of blood to his brain, triggering a seizure...." [Note the unfortunate illustration... - JC]

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

When breastfeeding conflicts with morés in the mall
PULSE:NEWS&OPINION :: JUNE 23, 2004
By DANIEL STURM
"Vanessa Vicknair moved to Lansing from Seattle five years ago. She thought both cities were progressive - until recently. On June 12, she went shopping with her sister-in law Kelly Vicknair and friend Jessica Chapman-King at the Lansing Mall. The three mothers were tired, and their children hungry. They spotted a comfortable couch in the mall's designated family area. When Vanessa began breastfeeding her 8-week old daughter, a security guard approached and told her she should use the nursing room at the end of the hall, or otherwise stop breastfeeding. "CHe told me I was on private property and breaking indecent exposure laws," Vicknair said...."
More coverage on breast milk/warts
Breast milk compound kills warts: "
Associated Press
Published Wednesday, June 23, 2004
"A compound in breast milk has been found to destroy many skin warts, raising hopes it might also prove effective against cervical cancer and other lethal diseases caused by the same virus. Skin warts are caused by the human papilloma virus, which is extremely widespread. Swedish researchers found that when the breast-milk compound - since named HAMLET - is applied to the skin, it kills virally infected cells in warts resistant to conventional treatments...."

Sunday, June 20, 2004

The Australian: Don't spit dummy for premature babies [June 21, 2004] "By Helen Tobler
June 21, 2004
The Australian
WHEN Amber and Brianna Page were born 16 weeks early, the last thing their parents needed was to worry about what future problems the girls might experience from the dummies they used to comfort the twins. But new Australian research has put parents' fears to rest by showing that giving premature babies dummies does not make it more difficult for them to breastfeed later, as previous studies had suggested. Carmel Collins, researcher and midwife at Adelaide's Women's and Children's Hospital, said giving premature babies dummies was standard practice in hospitals. But parents were often concerned the dummies could cause nipple confusion and affect their ability to breastfeed."
Preemie critical due to negligent nurse
Maariv International
June 20, 2004
Gil Horev
"A nurse in the neonatal intensive care ward of Sheba-Tel Hashomer hospital accidentally attached a feeding tube to a premature baby's vein, and the three week-old baby is now in critical condition. Hospital director Prof. Zeev Rothstein told Channel Two earlier Saturday evening that the baby's condition has been stabilized and 'we are doing our utmost to save her life'. He also said 'we are not convinced that there will be irreversible damage to the baby'...."

Thursday, June 17, 2004

Constant Risk for HIV Infection During Breastfeeding, June 16, 2004 Press Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH): "Analysis Shows Infants of Mothers Infected With HIV Face Nearly Constant Risk For HIV Infection For Duration of Breastfeeding - Previously, Researchers Thought Risk Diminished As Infants Grew Older
"After four weeks of age, infants who breast feed from mothers infected with HIV continue to be at risk for infection with HIV for as long as they breastfeed, according to an analysis conducted and funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health. Previously, researchers thought the risk for being infected with the virus from breast milk diminished as an infant grew older. The analysis determined that a significant proportion of infants — 42 percent — were infected by breast feeding after they were 4 weeks old. The study also found that infants were at greater risk for contracting the virus through breastfeeding if their mothers had low levels of CD4 cells, an immune cell targeted by the AIDS virus. Moreover, male infants were more likely to contract the virus through breastfeeding than were female infants...."
Marco La Leche League applauds national breastfeeding campaign
Marco Island Sun Times
By Sun Times Staff
06/17/2004
"La Leche League of Marco Island is fully standing behind the Department of Health and Human Service's Office on Women's Health and the Ad Council on the launch of its national breastfeeding awareness campaign. 'Babies Were Born to be Breastfed,' is the signature statement attached to the educational campaign. The message is that babies exclusively breastfed for six months are healthier because they are less likely to develop a variety of diseases including diarrhea, ear infections, respiratory infections, and obesity. ''I hope with this ad campaign, the importance of breastfeeding will finally get out to everyone,' said Kathleen Tuttle, leader of La Leche of Marco Island. 'In the past, the majority of mothers who breastfed were white and college educated, which is unfortunate as every child deserves the benefits of his mother's milk. In the '40s and '50s scientists told us that formula is best. Now we are rediscovering that mother's milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition.'..."
Rickets still a threat in Canada, doctors say
The Globe and Mail
By MARY NERSESSIAN
"Despite widespread belief that rickets has been eradicated, the Vitamin D deficiency that causes softening of bones is an existing threat to Canadian infants, doctors warn. Although the vitamin is easily accessible, 79 cases of nutritional rickets were reported between July, 2002, and June, 2004, mainly among infants and toddlers, according to a two-year study released by the Canadian Paediatric Society on Thursday...."
{La Leche League's position on Vitamin D supplements, published shortly after a similar AAP recommendation: "Sunlight Deficiency, "Vitamin D," and Breastfeeding "Schaumburg, IL (April 17, 2003). Exclusively breastfed healthy, full-term infants from birth to six months who have adequate exposure to sunlight are not at risk for developing vitamin D deficiency or rickets. Rickets occurs because of a deficiency in sunlight exposure, not because of a deficiency in human milk...." And KellyMom has a good summary of the debate over Vitamin D supplementation, including a link to Cynthia Good Mojab's position paper on the matter. - JC]

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

Mothers' milk aids research
Thursday, June 17, 2004
By DAN LAMOTHE
Masslive.com
Kathleen F. Arcaro studies cancer. Breast cancer, to be precise. Deep in a laboratory at the University of Massachusetts' Morrill Science Center in Amherst, the environmental sciences professor spends her days peering into microscopes, trying to understand the reasons why the cells of a perfectly healthy-looking woman would betray the body and mutate. 'These come from a woman who actually had breast cancer,' she says, gesturing toward a wall on which the magnified image of cancer cells were projected. Like many other researchers, Arcaro and Chung M. Wong, her 21-year-old assistant, will spend their summer working through cell samples: recording, comparing, adjusting, then starting again. The difference between Arcaro's work and the work of many others, however, is the essential ingredient needed to keep Arcaro's study going. Arcaro studies the very first food a helpless newborn can digest: human breast milk."

Sunday, June 13, 2004

Church playgroup bans breastfeeding mothers
- National - www.smh.com.au
Danielle Teutsch
June 13
The Sun-Herald
"Women attending a church playgroup in Sydney have been banned from breastfeeding unless they go to a separate room in a move that may contravene anti-discrimination laws. Mothers at the weekly playgroup run by St Peter's (Cooks River) Anglican Church at St Peters have been told they might offend passing tradesmen or ethnic groups if they continue to breastfeed in the main hall, where their children play. A group of the women have left the playgroup in disgust at the edict, which they have labelled discriminatory and regressive...."
Valley infants testing formula
East Valley Tribune Online
By Ray Stern, Tribune
"Baby formula companies spend millions of dollars each year to convince parents their products are safe and beneficial for newborns. But someone’s child has to be the first to try them.
That’s where Scottsdale’s Hill Top Research comes in. For about $300 and the satisfaction of helping bring a new product to market, Valley parents let the unknown pass their infant’s lips for six weeks. 'We’re making sure there’s no stomachaches, or colic, stomach distress — those kinds of things,' said Wendy Bullock, in charge of recruiting test subjects at Hill Top, a small complex of offices and laboratories on 75th Street. The company — which has seven other locations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom — advertises in a local entertainment weekly newspaper, seeking parents of infants 2 weeks to 3 months old. Eight families have signed up so far for the latest study, Bullock said. Safety is a chief concern, although the very nature of the testing means a problem could develop, company representatives said...."

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Is breastfeeding an option or an obligation?
A new ad campaign is sure to incite controversy

Published Wednesday, June 9, 2004
by Heather Johnson
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Boca Raton News
"Some women feel that the pressure to deliver breast milk 100 percent of the time is unfair to working women. One of the main things that makes a mother a mother is wanting the best for her child. And now with the launching of the new public service announcements by the Advertising Council and the United States Department of Health and Human Services promoting the benefits of breastfeeding, a whole new controversy is being stirred up about an age-old issue. Is a mother who chooses not to breastfeed doing the best that she can for her child?...
Nestle recalls baby formula
June 10, 2004
A BABY formula which could cause babies to become unsettled and show symptoms of constipation and diarrhoea was today recalled by its manufacturer.
Nestle Australia Ltd said in a statement that NAN 1 Probiotic Starter Infant Formula with Bifidus, 900g size, with the use by date of August 5, 2005, was being recalled. "An incorrect mix of formulation occurred during the manufacturing process which has resulted in some products not meeting the Food Standards regulations," the statement said. "Because of possible changes in the protein and iron levels in the formula, babies who consume the affected product may become unsettled and exhibit symptoms of constipation and/or diarrhoea and fewer wet nappies." Nestle has set up a hotline – 1800 069 678 – for those concerned about the product.

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

CBS News | Fake Milk Powder Causes Baby Death | June 9, 2004 12:38:39
SHANGHAI, China. June 9, 2004
"(AP) Only two months after a nationwide crackdown on fake infant formula, one baby died and 20 were hospitalized with severe malnutrition in eastern China after drinking low-quality milk powder, a state newspaper said Wednesday. The infants in Suqian, a city northwest of Shanghai, suffered from swelling and anemia, both symptoms of severe malnutrition, the Legal Daily newspaper said. ..."