to think this formula company is dangerous and misleading?

[Starberries]

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??

Yep, wanting formula to be safe and tested is anti-ff

here we go, another 'formula-police' thread

yes that's right. wanting formula to be regulated, safe and tested is clearly anti-formula

jeez

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

Would you sign your baby up to test it then?? No? I thought not. So who are they going to test it on then?

There is no such thing as independently available information about formula - it all comes from the companies themselves, even in Australia.

I would recommend reading The Politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer

Summerbird73 don't you want your formula to be independently tested and safe for babies? Or would you prefer to trust whatever you are told by a multinational corporation who's main aim is to make profit for its shareholders by persuading women they cannot breastfeed?

I ff my dd and am happy for anyone to make a choice, but I want them to have accurate information and for the formula companies to not be allowed to advertise which is about selling someting rather than informing which is not aiming to sell.

and yes, I do feel very strongly about it, because I cannot BELIEVE what they get away with now, because everyone assumes they are tightly regulated and controlled by the government etc but they are not.

Rant over

Altinkum NO formula is tested/regulated as it is a food not a drug so doesn't need testing. Besides, who would sign up their baby for the testing so they could make sure it is safe?

Look at what happened in China in 2008: The Times

It is only good luck that nothing similar has happened here. In the States a few years ago it was proven that a certain brand of formula milk contained an ingredient that was harming babies. So the company in question recalled it, and rather than destroying it, they donated it as aid to the developing world. Fully aware that it was harming babies !!!!! That is why I don't trust them and I wish people would listen when they are told this stuff rather than assuming it is "just the breastfeeding police"

In the UK (not sure about the US) 'novel' ingredients in formula have to be tested (yes, on actual babies) to ensure they do not interfere with growth or health compared to regular formula - this means (in the UK) that while there are strict parameters for carbohydrates, fats and so on, anything 'extra' (like prebiotics, nucleotides and other additives) have to be shown to be safe in terms of health and growth before they can be officially approved. There is no long term testing - I am not sure of the law on this, but the papers I have read stop reporting when the babies are a few months old.

Formula based on rice carbohydrate for non-breastfed babies unable to tolerate regular formula is available on prescription in the UK - and a quick google shows me this is the same as RestFull . It's called Enfamil AR in the UK, and is only recommended for babies with specific problems of digestion - isn't it interesting that in the US, where they can get away with more claims than here, they promote it as a routine aid for night time sleep?

I can't see the UK authorities approving a formula thickened by rice carbs for babies from birth though - it would not be considered good nutrition here. The 'Good Night' milks for babies from 6 mths have already been strongly criticised by SACN (DH advisory committee) but not actually banned.

MrsJT - where have you read that formula is not tested?

If you have exclusively breastfed, chances are that any strong opinions you hold on formula have a bit of the holier-than-thou about them and your 'concern' about testing formula is likely disingenuous.

Wait for it. This will be a breast-is-best thread yet.

Altinkum - you are right.

It's under the same codex that formulas such as goats milk are not permitted to be marketed for babies. I think they are permitted for babies over 6 mths but I have not checked.

The UK does not have the WHO code (on marketing - this has nothing to do with permitted ingredients) as law. We have regulations on marketing, but they aren't the WHO code.

Altinkum - google infant formula and follow on formula regulations and you will find a PDF.

I don't understand your question about goats milk, sorry.

I think goat's milk protein is not sufficiently modified, according to the experts, but I'm not sure about that - would need to do some heavy-duty googling :)

Starberries - I agree it is shocking - the main reason it is shocking is if it is being marketed at under 6m age babies.

^(Although I can't see where it says suitable from 0m?)

The WHO recommends that just milk (BF or FF) for the first 6 months.

As tiktok mentioned above it is similar to Goodnight milks in this country.

The SACN statement is here.

Their conclusions were:

The Committee is concerned that the claims made could undermine breastfeeding, as either product could replace or displace the night-time breastfeed. In light of the current recommendations to continue breastfeeding beyond six months, the Committee considers both products to be breastmilk substitutes, which should be labelled and marketed appropriately.

The Committee was unable to identify any published scientific evidence to support a claim that ?Good Night? milks offer nutritional or other health advantage over the use of infant formula or follow-on formula.

The Committee is concerned that the use of these products to ?settle? babies at night could promote poor dental hygiene.

The Committee does not agree with HiPP Organic?s statement that its product is suitable for young children as an alternative to the evening meal.

SirBoob (& other's who may be interested)- these goodnight milks have cereal in them, first milks are based on the whey in cow's milk and second milks or "hungarybaby milk" are based on the curds in cow's milk which take longer to digest.

For those that want to know more about formula - see these UNICEF leaflets.

As to this thread being a "BFvFF" - I usually find that those who have exclusively BF are interested in promoting safer infant feeding - be it BF or FF - they tend to have more knowledge on FF than FFing mothers!

And I can say this as BF went wrong for us and DS was mix fed from 1m and fully FF from 3months.

I know HCPs do not give much FF info - eg info on types of milk/safe feeding etc.

From what I see many FF mothers are very very defensive and do not want To know about the risks/problems with FF!

Personally I have turned my experience into a passion to help and inform others.

However, I dont post negative things about the formula companies and how they are wrangling legally around the ban, in disgust and hysterically and even with some here false information, on that formula is not regulated by food standards.

Why don't you post that stuff? It would be useful.

As with all personla opinions - they will upset somepeople. If what I have said doesn't apply to you - then don't take offense?

MsT as I said, i did do research and formula IS tested and has to pass regulations. No need to be so agressive.
As some other posters have noted, I think this is degenerating into an anti FF thread, or a "FF mums don't know what they are doing, lets HELP them" thread, so that's it from me..

MrsJT in response to your highly patronising post earlier, How dare you make such a sweeping suggestion when you dont even know me?!? I was not 'convinced by profit making share holders that i couldnt breastfeed'

I simply couldnt breastfeed.

Of course i could have let my nipples drop off and let DS starve - but call me a little leftfield here but i had this weird postnatal love for my child that i actually wanted him to feed off something and survive.

It is not the formula feed that makes the tiny percentage of babies ill - it is the poor preparation borne out of the governments reluctance to give out any guidance to those who havent had any previous experince of bottle preparation. Ok so it isnt rocket science but there are some basic do's and dont's that some newbies could benefit from.

Rant over

It's pretty hard to be perfect and breastfeed when your child is in neo-natal intensive care in a hospital 40 miles from where you are recovering from a c-section. Maybe the paediatricians are irresponsible fuckwits or maybe formula isn't poison and mothers who cannot or do not breastfeed aren't feckless.