Similac- Undermining Breastfeeding, One Survey at a Time

I received an interesting piece of mail the other day from "The National Institute of Infant Nutrition". It all looked very official, and at first glance seemed to be a questionnaire that might help provide statistical information on how many people were breastfeeding and till what age, how many were feeding formula, and what age folks were starting solids. At first I even began filling out the form, until I wondered why this National Institute would care precisely what brands of formula people were using, when these brands were initiated, and why they were selected. I decided to a quick google search and found that the "National Institute of Infant Nutrition" is actually Abbott, a formula company, commonly known as the makers of Similac. 

Now, formula companies are supposed to be following a simple set of ethics outlined by the World Health Organization after a battle with a company called Nestle that nearly eradicated breastfeeding. The Nestle boycott has continued since 1977.

It is estimated that 1.5 million babies die each year from not being adequately breastfed.  This fact is disputed by no one. And yet, very few formula companies operate under the WHO Code. 

This kind of deception in order to sell a product is reprehensible. By asking what age formula is commonly introduced, or what age supplementing commonly begins, Abbott is gathering ammunition. They will then use this ammunition to market formulas "specially designed" for the targeted age group. And they will use this information to decide what time to send out the infamous formula samples and target women at weak moments in the breastfeeding relationship. The women use the samples, and lo and behold, experience a supply drop because they are not demanding their breasts to make milk when they are supplementing with formula. Pretty soon, they are exclusively formula feeding. 

You see, formula companies discovered long ago that their best customers were NOT formula feeding mothers. They discovered that the biggest profit was derived from women intending to breastfeed. This is because they make up a bigger market share. Most women start out breastfeeding in the hospital. But by several weeks, most have quit. Why is this? Lack of support and misinformation are big problems. But being sabotaged by corporations whose only interest is selling their product, and who will go to any length to do so, is something that ALL mothers, regardless of feeding method, need to be aware of. If you formula feed, please buy a formula that complies with the WHO code. If you breastfeed, help other mother’s get correct information on breastfeeding issues.

And if you receive a letter from Similac, don’t help them with their market research. Don’t give them ammunition to sabotage the nursing relationship.