What an awful thing to do to babies

[baajee]

Please read, especially if you buy nestle products. I'm not normally the type to join advocacy groups or have a strong views on corporate ethics. But since becoming a mum, I feel so much more protective towards children (anyone's children). I got sent this today and reading about it made me really angry.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestlé_boycott

 

[BethK]

Wasn't the boycott years ago about advertising Formula milk and boycotters claiming the formula was the cause of deaths in babies in under developed countries?

Probably very wrong but I'm on my phone and can't seem to open the link but it seemed like another thing dreamed up by those who try to preach about breastfeeding and how awful formula feeding is?

 

[baajee]

If you can't open it, its about giving free formula to mothers in developing nations, just long enough for breastfeeding to dry up and then trying to sell formula - leading to infant deaths due to inadequate supply of clean water, and watered down formula because mother's couldn't afford it.

I've got no problems with formula feeding. But this is a different thing altogether.

 

[hb1]

The link is to wikipedia and is the 1977 boycott - don't think it is bf PREACHING Beth ( no need!! )

Nestle have had a bad rep as a company because of this ever since.

hx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Wasn't the boycott years ago about advertising Formula milk and boycotters claiming the formula was the cause of deaths in babies in under developed countries?

Probably very wrong but I'm on my phone and can't seem to open the link but it seemed like another thing dreamed up by those who try to preach about breastfeeding and how awful formula feeding is?

How I wish that was the case, sadly not.

Basically Nestle advertise formula in developing countries. They give away mothers a free sample of formula, just enough to last them until their breast milk has dried up, but then they cannot afford to buy any more (formula for a baby costs something like a weeks wages in some developing countries) so they resort to watering down the formula down or mixing it with other liquids which are not at all suitable and very dangerous. Also the formula is often prepared with unclean water in unclean conditions, with dire consequences.

You couldn't pay me to use Nestle products and there are none in my home or my office now.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Organisations such as the NCT boycott Nestle as a whole. They won't have Nescafe at their meetings etc. They're the most widely boycotted company in the world!

 

[BabyKerslake]

You can't force anyone to place their baby on formula. Sorry but may have misread it but I understand that sanitation causes a problem in underdeveloped countries and obviously causes babies (if given formula with this water) to develop diseases. However, surely if you are a malnourished mother then you wouldn't be able to provide your baby with the vitamins and minerals usually found in breast milk? Again, I could be wrong!

X

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

You can't force anyone to place their baby on formula. Sorry but may have misread it but I understand that sanitation causes a problem in underdeveloped countries and obviously causes babies (if given formula with this water) to develop diseases. However, surely if you are a malnourished mother then you wouldn't be able to provide your baby with the vitamins and minerals usually found in breast milk? Again, I could be wrong!

X

You are. The body is amazing and women continue to breastfeed through famines, disasters, etc.

 

[shortie1990]

I didn't even know nestle did baby milk

 

[baajee]

I agree you can't force people on formula but if you are uneducated and don't have access to information and some fancy Nestle people come to your community with a talk on how proper nutrition comes from sachets, surely you'll give it a go.

 

[suzib76]

the nestle boycott is 30odd years old

it is also a massive fail

they may be heavily boycotted by many organisations but they are still reaping in massive massive profit and going strong

 

[tu123]

You can't force anyone to place their baby on formula. Sorry but may have misread it but I understand that sanitation causes a problem in underdeveloped countries and obviously causes babies (if given formula with this water) to develop diseases. However, surely if you are a malnourished mother then you wouldn't be able to provide your baby with the vitamins and minerals usually found in breast milk? Again, I could be wrong!

X

You are. The body is amazing and women continue to breastfeed through famines, disasters, etc.

Agreed. The body is pretty adept and sorting out the balance. Protein and fats will still go into the milk-but taken from the mother if in famine. The body makes milk in one way and that is to make it with a right balance of fats, protein, etc.

I remember in my early nursing days that there were Nestle posters up all over the maternity unit until they were later banned. I am suprised Nestle have been able to recover from their mistake.

 

[Mizze]

You can't force anyone to place their baby on formula. Sorry but may have misread it but I understand that sanitation causes a problem in underdeveloped countries and obviously causes babies (if given formula with this water) to develop diseases. However, surely if you are a malnourished mother then you wouldn't be able to provide your baby with the vitamins and minerals usually found in breast milk? Again, I could be wrong!

X

No but you can tell them that this is MUCH better for their baby than their own milk - and that they can have it for free - obviously you dont tell them they will have to pay for it afterwards.

I try to avoid Nestle as much as I can but give in far too often when faced with a kitkat

Mizze x

 

[BabyKerslake]

You can't force anyone to place their baby on formula. Sorry but may have misread it but I understand that sanitation causes a problem in underdeveloped countries and obviously causes babies (if given formula with this water) to develop diseases. However, surely if you are a malnourished mother then you wouldn't be able to provide your baby with the vitamins and minerals usually found in breast milk? Again, I could be wrong!

X

You are. The body is amazing and women continue to breastfeed through famines, disasters, etc.

Right ok - shall do some research on this one before commenting further.

 

[bathbabe]

Unfortunatly it is true and although it wasnt 'forced' onto them they accepted it not knowing the consequences, which they should of been told about.
It isnt BF bashing FF, or FF bashing BF, it really happened, and alot of babies died.

So however you feed your baby be thankful your able to continue without harming your child

 

[jogami]

This is certainly up for debate! I think some mothers do get "hoaxed" into thinking they are malnourishing their babies and that formula is the safe option. My antenatal midwife herself goes with other midwives into under-developed countries to promote BF (mostly in Africa, I live in South Africa). I commend them greatly. It's sad that these women don't have the resources to obtain invaluable knowledge and make concerted decisions. We are still very far behind in times when it comes to knowing our own bodies and what the body is capable of and these women feel they cannot provide what nature intended them to. I personally have some Nestle products because it suits us. I know I would have given up BF if it wasn't for the support of my midwife and a wonderful cousin who told me "it does get easier". Some women don't have this support. Sadly

 

[cat81]

It wasn't that they were forcing people to formula feed, it was that they went into developing countries and advertised their formula, giving the impression that it would be better for babies.

Women who did not have access to the same information that we do, believed this advertising, took the free samples of formula and used them. By the time they realised that they couldn't afford to continue to buy the formula, their breast milk had dried up.

This story was a long time ago and is one of the reasons why there are such strict rules about advertising formula now. No one is saying that there is anything wrong with formula feeding, it was the unethical actions of this companies in exploiting people who were vulnerable and uninformed that led to such an outcry.

The problem was that the women could not continue to buy the formula or that they were mixing it with unsanitary water and mixing it incorrectly leading to babies getting ill.

 

[Mizze]

This is certainly up for debate! I think some mothers do get "hoaxed" into thinking they are malnourishing their babies and that formula is the safe option. My antenatal midwife herself goes with other midwives into under-developed countries to promote BF (mostly in Africa, I live in South Africa). I commend them greatly. It's sad that these women don't have the resources to obtain invaluable knowledge and make concerted decisions. We are still very far behind in times when it comes to knowing our own bodies and what the body is capable of and these women feel they cannot provide what nature intended them to. I personally have some Nestle products because it suits us. I know I would have given up BF if it wasn't for the support of my midwife and a wonderful cousin who told me "it does get easier". Some women don't have this support. Sadly

TBH for me this isnt about bf v ff - its about the deliberate targeting that went on of women who werent in a position to know that they were being conned - and it was a con, those women werent told the free stuff would be withdrawn as soon as their babies were dependant on the formula. And I dont care how many years ago it was, it wasnt a mistake it was a marketing strategy.

Mizze xx

 

[jogami]

This is certainly up for debate! I think some mothers do get "hoaxed" into thinking they are malnourishing their babies and that formula is the safe option. My antenatal midwife herself goes with other midwives into under-developed countries to promote BF (mostly in Africa, I live in South Africa). I commend them greatly. It's sad that these women don't have the resources to obtain invaluable knowledge and make concerted decisions. We are still very far behind in times when it comes to knowing our own bodies and what the body is capable of and these women feel they cannot provide what nature intended them to. I personally have some Nestle products because it suits us. I know I would have given up BF if it wasn't for the support of my midwife and a wonderful cousin who told me "it does get easier". Some women don't have this support. Sadly

TBH for me this isnt about bf v ff - its about the deliberate targeting that went on of women who werent in a position to know that they were being conned - and it was a con, those women werent told the free stuff would be withdrawn as soon as their babies were dependant on the formula. And I dont care how many years ago it was, it wasnt a mistake it was a marketing strategy.

Mizze xx

I totally agree But would these women have been easily conned if they knew better? I think not x

 

[charlotte-xo]

Its awful what they did. Those poor mothers and babies.