Formulaic Formula
I have to admit, I am weary of reporting the news. And it’s weird to be writing a breastfeeding blog when I am not quite breastfeeding yet. Then, I came across this article about formula companies promoting their products in the Philippines and I perked up. Sort of. Not really. The article points out that
“just 16% of children between four and five months old are exclusively breastfed. This is one of the lowest documented rates on earth, and it has fallen by a third since 1998. As 70% of Filipinos have inadequate access to clean water, the result is a public health disaster. Every year, according to the World Health Organization, some 16,000 Filipino children die as a result of “inappropriate feeding practices.”
The article goes on to pinpoint some of the marketing tactics conducted by the formula companies and then goes on to say this:
“The U.S. embassy and the U.S. regional trade representative started lobbying the Philippines government. Then the chief executive of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. - which represents 3 million businesses - wrote a letter to the president of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo. The new rules, he claimed, would have “unintended negative consequences for investors’ confidence”. The country’s reputation “as a stable and viable destination for investment is at risk”. Four days later, the supreme court reversed its decision and imposed the restraining order PHAP had requested. It remains in force today. The government is currently unable to prevent companies from breaking the international code.”
The article horrified and left me slightly depressed. I try SO hard to be open about formula and to not be judgmental. Then, I see companies pushing formula in countries where much of the population doesn’t even have consistent access to a safe water supply. Frankly, my Pollyanna Veneer is wearing thin the more and more I see these sorts of articles. Of course, it’s not unusual for Western companies to move their marketing tactics to developing nations when their Western consumers smarten up (Totally Tangential: Cigarette and cosmetic companies come to mind. Unilever, the maker of Dove products, has made a killing with their “real beauty” campaign in the US, yet they market skin lightening creams in India and South East Asia. Apparently, “real beauty” is defined as “white skin”.) And yes — the irony, of course, is that a group of breastfeeding mothers just recently broke the Guinness World Record for simultaneous breastfeeding.
Then, THEN, I read this bit about CORN SYRUP in formula. What the HELL? I received some free cans of formula when my son was born and I shoved them into a cabinet - I had intentions of donating them, but got lazy. I pulled them down this morning and started reading the ingredients:
1. The can of Enfamil milk-based formula has lactose listed as the 2nd ingredient, followed by a myriad of unpronounceable items including palm and coconut oils.
2. The can of Similac soy formula has corn syrup solids listed as the FIRST ingredient and also includes palm and coconut oils.
3. The can of Similac milk-based formula also has lactose listed as the 2nd ingredient, followed by a myriad of unpronounceable items including palm and coconut oils
Okay. I am not a health nut. And with this pregnancy, we’ve eaten far too much fast food because I’m just trying to get by - my end date for what I refer to as “Meals of Shame” is August 1, 2007 (I just want to get through the pregnancy and the first month of breastfeeding/sleep deprivation). However, when I shop at the grocery store, I’m fairly persnickety about reading labels and do try to avoid the bad oils (anything hydrogenated and most definitely palm and coconut) in addition to the corn syrup. Frankly, there’s some crapola in those cans of formula that I wouldn’t feel good about my toddler consuming, much less my newborn. And no, this isn’t about judging parents. This is about judging the formula companies who are obviously putting these powders together to achieve as long as a shelf life as possible. The expiration dates of the Similac cans are early 2008 and the Enfamil expires this summer — yet I received these cans in October of 2005. The corn syrup solids are particularly worrisome in light of all the research that shows corn syrup can mess with your metabolism.
At this point, I am at a loss for words for any sort of conclusion.
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June 5th, 2007 at 11:23 am
While I am glad that formula exists for those that truly need it, the more reading I do about the companies who produce, the more recalls I see, and the more I read about breastmilk, the less of an open mind I have about it. Having supplemented with it (VERY unwillingly) in the early days with my daughter, I certainly would never take a black and white attitude, but I do find it disturbing when it’s perceived “as good as”, more convenient, another option, etc. to breastmilk.
It’s a shame no one makes as much money from breastfeeding as from formula, because I think the advertising campaign would be far more effective if that were the case.
June 5th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
I wish my son didn’t have to be on formula. I pumped for months so he had the benefits of breastmilk only to find out he was allergic to cows milk, eggs, and peanuts. As much as I tried to elminate these items from my diet… milk and eggs are in EVERYTHING. We hated (!!) the fact that formula is corn syrup based and talked to the doctor about something healthier… there’s NOTHING! And don’t even get me started on the cost!!! I just don’t understand companies any more.
June 5th, 2007 at 1:42 pm
I hope I made it clear that my ire is directed towards the companies and NOT parents. Obviously, sometimes you don’t have a choice!
I think where it most infuriates me is in the 3rd world countries - babies literally die from formula there. An Indian friend of mine had an older sister who died as a baby from formula.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
My open mind towards formula closed a long time ago. I truely feel sorry for mothers who have to use it, but the more I learn the more disgusted am with the companies that sell it and the mothers who use it for no medical reason.
June 5th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Being that formula is not a natural product, I’m not terribly surprised that the ingredients that make it up are mostly unpronounceable. I would like to chime in that corn syrup is not the same as high fructose corn syrup. Corn syrup has not undergone the same processing and additions as high fructose corn syrup and is not the metabolism killer. Corn syrup is all glucose while high fructose corn syrup is mostly fructose, a little more than half usually. Fructose needs to be balanced with fiber as it is in fruits, but since it isn’t with HFCS, I think that’s where the body starts having issues with it. Sorry to drown the comments with all this stuff, but I’m on a new healthy lifestyle mission and read all about sweeteners yesterday.
I also find it upsetting that women often fall back on formula without even attempting to breastfeed or without any medical reasons to supplement.
June 6th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I’m probably the only person here who unapologetically used formula from seven weeks on with my daughter. I could give you the list of reasons why, but they are not important to this discussion. I asked my nursing consultant what the absolute minimum for breastfeeding could be, then I just stopped. I was relieved and excited and happy to stop. Different strokes for different folks. Hi, I’m Rita, and I didn’t breastfeed for very long…
I think you are right to point out the ingredients in formula, Kelli - they DO sound pretty gross. The ingredients in formula should definitely play into your choice if the decision to stop breastfeeding is an honest-to-goodness choice like mine was, and not a “no milk available because I adopted” nonchoice or something like that. I think any time you let your kid eat something gross, you should also make sure they make up for it with a healthy, active lifestyle as they grow. Most babies are not active by nature, but they grow into toddlers, then children, who can make up for a lot of corn syrup pretty fast if you gear their lifestyle that way.
We all know that children who drink formula (at least those who do it in countries with clean water - and as for those who promote formula in those countries, SHAME ON YOU) don’t die and aren’t cursed to be obsese from their first taste of Enfamil - and I know you know that. However, if your child drinks formula (as mine did), you might want to go to 2% or skim milk by the age of two and make sure to work in a salad every once in a while as well as modeling (not teaching - modeling) making exercise part of every day.
In other words, I guess I’m here representing those mothers who will not find nursing works out for them. Is nursing better for your baby? Absolutely. But this is the first of many, many, many parenting choices you will make in which you have to make the best choice for you, your family, your lifestyle and your child, and it may not be one you feel is the *perfect* choice. And it will be okay. Even if you have to go to formula, it will be okay. Your three-year-old will develop an affinity for Doritos, and you will realize that you are just doing your best.
And Kelli, you know I’m not judging YOU or your readers, either, just want to make sure those soon-to-be or new moms who are reading understand the other side of the story.
June 6th, 2007 at 3:31 pm
WOW!!
As a mom who breastfed 7 babies, I am also horrified at the thought of such a promotion in a place where safe water is hard to find.
I was blessed to be able to nurse all of my babies, but have a friend who had a baby who failed to thrive with breast milk. She was very worried about all the junk in formula, but had no choice. Sometimes we have to what is second best, but in a country where there is no safe water, it should not be an option to make formula for babies- unless it is all imported already made with safe water.