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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this formula company is dangerous and misleading?

104 replies

Starberries · 05/08/2010 19:59

Going to the US in a couple of weeks to buy a few bits for baby due in a few months and see family.

Was browsing babiesrus.com website and found this Enfamil formula 'RestFull' which is marketed for babies 0-12 MONTHS that has RICE CARBOHYDRATE in it to thicken and make them sleep longer!!!

www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3711366

HOW ON EARTH is this legal??

OP posts:
Original poster
Starberries · 05/08/2010 20:00

Oh blah, didn't link properly.

here

OP posts:
Original poster
Starberries · 05/08/2010 20:11

Really? No one?

OP posts:
sharon137 · 05/08/2010 20:13

What's the problem? I am sure they have gone through tests to make sure it isn't harming baby...

SirBoobAlot · 05/08/2010 20:16

Surely that's no different from hungry baby / bed time milk over here?

you · 05/08/2010 20:16

Meh

Tee2072 · 05/08/2010 20:16

The US has equally strict restrictions on Formula manufacturing as the UK. But, they are different restrictions. That's why you can't buy US brands here or UK brands there.

And did you know that UK formula has an ingredient in it, that I can't think of right now, that is the same as in Red Bull? True fact.

thisisyesterday · 05/08/2010 20:18

lol sharon. ahhh if only!

i'm with you starberries

Original poster
Starberries · 05/08/2010 20:18

Why is it different from hungry baby milk? Uh..because this is marketed at NEWBORNS!! Hungry baby milk doesn't have rice "carbohydrate" (aka cereal) in it! There are tons of reviews about people feeding it to their 6-week olds who were extremely constipated and woke up screaming from gas pains from it!

OP posts:
StarlightMcKenzie · 05/08/2010 20:19

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Shaz10 · 05/08/2010 20:19

Tee2072 is it water?

thedifferentme · 05/08/2010 20:20

This reply has been deleted

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thedifferentme · 05/08/2010 20:20

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lal123 · 05/08/2010 20:20

or some sort of sugar?

PaulineCampbellJones · 05/08/2010 20:23

I was trying to choose some follow on milk yesterday in Boots. Hipp Organic do a night time milk with cereal in it. Not sure for what age babies it's for though.

thisisyesterday · 05/08/2010 20:24

the "goodnight" milks should be from 6 months onwards

bulby · 05/08/2010 20:27

Tee2072
Is it sugars?

Morloth · 05/08/2010 20:31

What thedifferentme said. There isn't anything they could do that would surprise me, nothing at all - wasn't even surprised by the melamine thing, I bet they are only upset that they got caught.

They just don't care and will stay just within the law. So the laws have to be tight, which of course is unlikely to happen because the dairy industry is massively powerful.

LittleSilver · 05/08/2010 21:38

I thought it was illegal to market formula specifically at under 12months?

thisisyesterday · 05/08/2010 21:47

under 6 months sadly

sickoftheholidays · 05/08/2010 21:49

US dont subscribe to the WHO code of advertising for breastmilk substitutes, so are able to advertise from birth.

It seems common practise to introduce rice cereal from about 8 weeks over there

Thickened milks over here do contain types of starch, but in fact the hungry baby milks are like that because they are made with the heavy curds of cows milk rather than the whey (used in the number 1 milks from birth) and therefore take longer to digest.

The ingredient from red bull also found in formula is taurine I believe, which is vitally important for the myelination of the nerve cells and maturation of the brain and nervous system. It is found in breastmilk also (actually thats why its now included in formula, didnt used to be)

Haliborange · 05/08/2010 21:52

Well there are squillions of parents the world over putting cereal into their babies' bottles to make them sleep. It seems to be virtually standard practice in south africa, for example. I think it is vile, but making baby sleep seems to be a main preoccupation of many mothers (even if stuffing them with cereal may not help). And I guess if I lived in America and was likely to be going back to work very quickly after birth I might just be desperate for a sleeping baby too.

DitaVonCheese · 05/08/2010 23:04

Tee Do you mean taurine? I was really surprised to see it on the list of ingredients but googled it and it seems fine. Oops, just noticed sick just said that. Back in y'olden days, when Red Bull was launched, a rep was giving me the spiel and said that the thing that made it so effective was the taurine, not the caffeine, as something something more effectively (I was a bit pissed at the time ). But it does seem to be legit.

I was a bit surprised to see today that Avent bottles are "clinically proven to help babies settle more easily, especially in the evening", which I thought was a bit

everythingiseverything · 05/08/2010 23:09

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

usualsuspect · 05/08/2010 23:12

Another branch for the bf to beat the ff with

sharon137 · 05/08/2010 23:56

I am in Australia, so there are different laws here I guess. When I switched from BF to FF I researched it all pretty carefully to ensure I got the best formula I could.
This formula isn't something I would use, but each to their own.. maybe if a baby is getting no sleep at all and mum is at her wits' end, this might be something for her to try.
Doubt it works though! I use bubble bath, lotion, oil all marketed "to help with sleep" but still find myelf with a baby who wants to play way before the sun rises..