Why would the charity Tommy's think it's a good idea to "team up" with Aptamil?!

[tabouleh]

Tommy's and Aptamil's midwifery training grants.

Unbelievable.

It gets the Aptamil logo onto Tommy's website.

Tommy's should be encouraging BFing not giving space to a formula company on its website and sposoring midwives!

Aptamil must be so pleased with themselves.

Sorry I've come late to this, so perhaps missed something. But has anyone noticed that Tommy's doesn't actually benefit financially from the deal? As Mike Brady says, they are "handling" (or "laundering"!) the money on behalf of Aptamil. The money goes to the midwives who apply for grants, so it does not benefit Tommy's research into premature babies.

So let me get this straight ...

Aptamil gets:

• A big banner ad on the front page of Tommy's website
• A secondary link to their Aptamil professional website
• Fantastic PR by brand association with Tommy's
• all for the bargain basement price of £20k

Tommy's gets:

• No cash
• The administrative hassle of channelling grant money to midwives
• Its brand comprehensively s**t on by association with Aptamil.

Honestly, what was Tommy's thinking??! Bet the person who came up with this bright idea will be up for the chop before long ...

v. good post hilda.

have you looked at the first Dr Jack Newman presentation which is in the LCGB link I posted sometime yesterday? It discusses KMC, feeding supplementation for premature and very premature babies, expression and a lot of other things. It is long but from slide 100 to about 150 may be very thought provoking to you.

I read those Jack Newman presentations and thought they were brilliant. It seems quite incredible how wrong-headed much of our care of premature babies has been.

But are his ideas applicable to the very very young preemies we see in the UK? He says himself that his experience is in developing countries, where the youngest preemies simply don't survive.

wow - lots going on in this thread.

i can't imagine the pain you would feel to see your baby fighting for its life in an incubator. i have heard/read of kmc being really really beneficial in this area and hope that more research/practice gets done to save lives. i would imagine that the mum's warm chest (a mother's boobs can get hotter and colder according to the infant's temperature - cool!) would be a nice place, the only place?, for a tiny tiny baby. they could hear the heartbeat maybe if lying on their tummies and it would be soft and comforting, no? aaaahhh the thought makes me a bit emotional!

incubators are part of a fantastic effort to save these babies so they cannot be 'dissed' as it were, but perhaps they are used too often as part of the whole 'medicalised' birth practices thing... we are still in love with science to a degree.

porcamiseria, you say that we all can make informed decisions but i was under the impression that ebf is only 1% at six months. so you are saying that 99% of women do not exclusively breastfeed until then and beyond because of an informed decision, rather than being utterly betrayed by the health professionals they trust and the society they live in, with aptimil doing its best to undermine any breastfeeding that does happen? i find this staggeringly hard to believe given the amount of women in this websites's breast and bottlefeeding section alone desperately seeking help in the form of other people's advice and experiences online?!

foxytocin i love this website for ideas and links like yours. thanks .

well spotted boobmeister what were tommy's thinking indeed???? boo hiss aptimil/numico/danone!

oh and in terms of bf being hard work. sri lanka have 75% of childen still being breastfed at 2 years of age. it is because they don't have formula advertising, and the whole medical profession is trained in breastfeeding, knows the benefits and is committed to making it happen. why oh why can't we have that here? it just does not make sense .

the percentage of premature babies who born before 28 weeks is very small however almost every pre-mature baby is whisked away to NICU without trying KMC and even if their breathing is stable.

It is quite evident from that for very premature and sick babies, the experience in the 3rd world can how to combine KMC with other technologies to support the these babies, if we allow ourselves to think differently about the problems these babies present to medicine. A lot of equipment these days can probably be scaled down to make them more portable to accommodate more KMC into these babies' care.

I dunno really I am just a layperson who is spending too much of my time overthinking this.

"But has anyone noticed that Tommy's doesn't actually benefit financially from the deal? As Mike Brady says, they are "handling" (or "laundering"!) the money on behalf of Aptamil. The money goes to the midwives who apply for grants, so it does not benefit Tommy's research into premature babies."

I think that Aptamil also must give to Tommy's - because if you look here you will see that Danone is listed as a "company that supports Tommy's".

This page on their website shows their top coroporate donors. There is a corporate donor "who wishes to remain anonymous who donated £75k"....

I emailed Tommy's on Wednesday as follows:

_
I was shocked to see from your website that
you are teaming up with Aptamil to sponsor midwife training grants.

Are you aware of the formula feeding culture in this country which results in very low breastfeeding rates?

Please can I direct you to info.babymilkaction.org/category2 and www.ibfan.org/issue-international_code-understant.html - I assume that you are aware of the international code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes?

In my opinion you are definitely breaking the spirit of that code if not the letter.

You are enhancing Aptamil's brand by allowing their logo on your page.

On your website you say that "We also feel it's important to raise awareness of the facts and to provide free, accurate and up-to-date information for medical professionals and parents-to-be. ". Aptamil and the other formula companies deliberately do not re-produce the World Health Organisation guidelines on safe preparation of formula on their packaging.
They do not disclose that formula is not sterile.

You must be aware that Aptamil had to amend their packaging as it contained untrue claims and that they had to remove the words "Immunofortis".

Really this is so wrong on many many levels. Formula is there to serve a purpose (I had to use it, but perhaps because of the formula feeding culture in this country I did not have access to advice that would have allowed my breastfeeding relationship with my son to continue).

Please can you tell me whether you have a written policy covering which organisations you associate with, if so please can I have a copy and if not please confirm that you will consider issuing one.

Many thanks,

tabouleh
_

This was the reply I received:

_

Good Afternoon,
I would like to thank you for your recent email expressing your views about our midwifery training grant scheme funded by Aptamil. We?d like you to know that we have noted the content of your email.

With best wishes,

Tommy?s

__

No answer to my policy question.

I replied with:

__

Noted them and are going to reply further at a later date. Or just noted them and that's it - no answer to my questions?

Regards,

tabouleh
_

No reply to date!

I am going to re-email them and provide a link to this thread and to confirm that they will pass details of my email and this thread to their board members.
__

I thought I would ask the charity Bliss about it's policy re donations/association with formula companies.

__

Please can you confirm whether you have a policy on whether you accept sponsorship from formula companies. Tommy's charity has linked up with Aptamil. I am concerned that formula companies are targeting babies and children's charities in order to promote formula.

_

I received the following reply:

_

In order to respond to any specific questions you would need to identify who you are and the relevance of your enquiry.

In the meantime I am happy to provide you with a link to our website where you can locate the publicly available version of our ethical policy.

We do not accept sponsorship from general formula companies/brands who market to consumers but if it was appropriate we would work with a company specialising in the formula available to supplement feeding in pre term babies where there can be challenges in establishing breastfeeding.

I am sorry but I am not in a position to comment on the policies or practice of Tommys with regards to their funding.
_

So - a clear reply and they have a policy.

No to "normal" formula but again the prem thing comes up which is interesting.

The actual ethical policy from the above link
is a pdf doc in the bottom right hand of the page - the relevant policy section is below:

_

Infant formula

Bliss supports the widely accepted view that breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. Equally we support the World Health Organisation?s code in relation to breastfeeding and the marketing of infant formula.

However, Bliss also recognises that not all premature babies are able to have their nutritional needs met from their mother?s milk alone. Because of the particular circumstances and consequences of premature birth, some mothers of premature babies are not able to produce a sufficient supply of breastmilk for their baby.

In such situations the alternatives are donor breastmilk (not availably nationally) or infant formula.

Therefore our ethical policy allows Bliss to work with companies who supply appropriate products to hospitals for professional use with premature and sick newborns in special care.

This includes: specific milk substitutes for premature babies, breast pumps, bottles and teats. However we do place conditions on the projects they can support.

__

Is there anyone trying to set up a better structure for donor milk? I can't help thinking that if special prem formula companies team up with charities then this is likely to mean that donor milk solutions will not be fully explored.

Could this be a MN campaign?

We have blood donations - surely we can at least set up a better structure that there is at present so that prem babies can receive BM?

well done tabouleh. I await a reply with baited breath!

Brilliant topic for a MN campaign!

UK Association of Milk Banking - might be interesting to see if MN ould work with them.

Need a current BFer to look into it?!

I might be interested in taking this up...am bf and a milk donor. But am not really sure where to begin [panic emoticon]

MoonFaceMama and any other BF donors - bloody well done - that is an amazing generous thing you are doing.

Some ideas:

Maybe start a thread linking to that website and ask for comments/ideas - how many MNers have in the past donated/are currently donating/would like to donate but don't know how to.

How did current donors get recruited. What do friends/family think. Have you tried to recruit anyone else?

The questions arising out of that could be put to the UK Association of Milk Banking.

I am interested to know what %age of neonatal units use donor milk.

Are there any research projects into it.

Experiences from other countries.

It can be an "informal" MN campaign - or MNHQ can be lobbied to get involved.

tabouleh well done for sending those emails. Am in the process of organising a fundraising event for Bliss and after this thread had wondered just a little (although not much given everything else i have said and my continued belief that this is not balck and white) about their ethics, but am now entirely comfortable with this.

In respect of breat milk doning I'll answer for me.

I have donated, and still do a little when I have spare.

I was recruited by my local NICU. I had plenty of milk (fortunately) and they knew I was unlikely to use it all before it went out of date. Over a period of a week or so we discussed how much i was going to leave when DS was discharged, and in the end I left it all (which was several litres as DS took so very little in those days)

I have briefly mentioned it to others but the other new mums I know are struggling to express enough to go out when they want to themselves. I have posted on here a little about it and treid to encourage those who are thinking of doing it.

I do know a few other prem mums who have donated in similar circumstance to me.

I know my local NICU, which is Addenbrokes in Cambridge is the central bank for the area and they received phone calls from other NICUs/SCBUs asking for milk. While I was there some milk was certainly transported to Huntingdon by a father whose babies needed it. I assume but don't know others also do. I am happy to ask them.
I am also happy to help moonface if there is any kind of campaign but with a preemie son still in the medical system i would have to confess that I have limited time

It would be lovely to work with you on this hilda. I too feel pushed for time ( as to why but guess that's having a baby! God knows how people cope with more than one!) but i'm sure that between us we can do something.

I'll try and start a thread re milk donation on here shortly (today or tom, when i can get to the computer)

I am also a milk donor and am trying to set up a satellite milk bank in my local region. Please contact me via my website here (don't want my email address to be trawled by putting it up here).

I would love to be part of a campaign. I'm already starting one myself, as it were, so have ideas and contacts in my region, and am happy to use my website to promote a national campaign. In fact, it would be a very appropriate medium with plenty of people in the right life-stage, and it fits with my company's ethics perfectly.

I am very excited about this. I love donating milk and am really, really keen to do anything possible to increase donor rates.

Hi organic! I'll drop you a line when i get on the computer (on phone at mo) and maybe if hilda does the same you can link us all up!

Fantastic - look forward to it! DS2 is not himself today (having a very refluxy day) so when it is my shift (DH currently cuddling until boobies needed) I'll be offline but back tomorrow latest.

I'll start a thread on it.

....sad I know but this has been bothering me all weekend. Have written to Tommy's and will post the response if I get one.

lizzytee - I have had no reply to the follow up email I sent on Friday (details above).

Can you post here if you get a reply?

This was what I wrote:

Dear Sir or Madam

I am writing to express my surprise and concern that Tommy's has entered into a
partnership with Danone, the makers of Aptamil and other formula milk brands to
provide training grants for midwives.

I am surprised that a well-established and reputable charity, focussed on the
health challenges faced by some pregnant mothers and babies, does not have a
greater appreciation of the marketing power this kind of association grants to a
company like Danone.

I am extremely concerned at the damage that this kind of arrangement is likely
to cause to Tommy's reputation, and in particular that caused by the statement
"both Tommy's and Aptamil promote the practice of breastfeeding, as it provides
the best start for the health and nutrition of babies"

The repeated breaches of both UK legislation and advertising standards on the
marketing of infant formula milk and baby foods by Danone mean to me that this
statement is patently untrue, since these laws and standards are designed to
protect breastfeeding. Danone's breaches in recent years include:

• making unsubstantiated claims about the benefits of "Immunofortis", an

ingredient in its Aptamil milks, which it was instructed to remove from packaging by the Advertising Standards Authority

• Including the words 'best infant milk' on the packaging of Aptamil milks

without any evidence based justification

• emphasising the low iron content of cow's milk in advertising for its Cow &

Gate follow-on milk, despite the fact that cow's milk is not a source of iron

• continuing to include labelling to the effect that some of its Cow & Gate baby

food range is suitable from 4 months, despite the fact that UK and WHO guidelines are that six months is the appropriate age to begin introduction of other foods.

By allowing Tommy's name to appear in a statement like this, you are lending
your charity's good name to support a company that does not promote
breastfeeding but whose profits rely on early supplementation and cessation of
breastfeeding and the use of their branded and frequently expensive foods.

I am also concerned that this branding has been applied to training grants
specifically for midwives. A midwife occupies a very special place in many
families' experience of birth and early parenthood, and may have a profound
effect in supporting a mother's infant feeding choices.

I would be interested to hear your response. And for the record, I do not
consider myself a 'fanatic'. I am a mother of two children, one extremely
premature, who have benefited from the research supported by charities like
Tommy's. I have breastfed both my children, and am all too aware how a lack of
support at a critical time can profoundly affect infant feeding choices.

Yours sincerely

lizzytee

oh and tabbouleh, the rather convoluted response you got from Bliss may be related to the fact that they accepted sponsorship from Danone (Cow and Gate iirc) for some awards for outstanding neonatal HCPs earlier this year.

yes, I know I need to get out more......

good email! v.interesting re formula company sponsorship from Danone. I think you're right it's this bit, isn't it?:

Therefore our ethical policy allows Bliss to work with companies who supply appropriate products to hospitals for professional use with premature and sick newborns in special care.

Really this means that they will link up as probably all the main formula companies do products for prem babies.

It looks as if they will think carefully about such links ups and not do them willy-nilly, but they will do them.

So, two major baby charities who have links with formula companies. .

Can anyone think of any other baby charities?

The 2011 Bliss Big Heart Award is sponsored by (amongst others) Abbott - I think they may make special formulas but they are not a "household name".

Was it these awards that were with C&G lsat year?

Not quite the same awards but something similar. The branding was actually Cow & Gate Baby Balance, ie baby food rather than formula. I find it interesting that the sponsor is now Abbott - who as far as I can tell mainly distribute specialist prescription only feeds in this country. An interesting example of how consumer response can make a difference?