Views on cow & Gates "Good Night Milk".

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Here

I have read the sacn website on it ( here ) and it states that its the same as the follow on milk, apart from lower levels of thiamin(sp?).

SACN were actually pretty negative:

"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." [i.e. bottle tooth decay because parents might put babies straight to bed without cleaning teeth afterwards] It's noteworthy that in their suggested 5 step 'bedtime routine' the C&G website don't mention that teeth must be cleaned after the product is offered.

"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 claims made could undermine breastfeeding, as either product could replace or displace the night-time breastfeed."

"Specifically the Committee are unaware of published scientific evidence to support the statements made about ?settling the baby for the night?, or being ?gentler on the baby?s tummy?."

"The Committee is concerned that such statements encourage parents to believe that it is desirable for a baby to sleep longer at an age when healthy infants show considerable variation in normal sleeping behaviour. There is also a risk that mothers may consider the product suitable for ?settling? their infant more than once a day and use these products on occasions additional to bedtime, or even use them to ?settle? infants younger than six months."

Not quite sure why you think the only difference is thiamin ? The table on page 5 is pretty clear that the goodnight milks contain additional potato starch and rice flakes (C&G) or Corn Starch, pre-gelatinised rice flour and wholegrain oatmeal (Hipp) when compared with the equivalent brand follow on milk.

The committee hardly paints a positive picture .

I hate cow and gate.
I complained to the ASA that their last follow on milk TV ad undermined breasfeeding.

...whatever breasfeeding is

Sorry, Grendle, Id only skimmed it quickly.
Re the tooth cleaning thing though, Im presuming Im not the only parent that doesnt brush her babies teeth in the middle of the night after a bottle?

Im only wondering about this milk, I havnt used it or the follow on milk either, my ds is 8 months old.

Its milk with cereal added to make babies feel full and supposedly sleep for longer.

Unnecessary IMO and undermining of BF by suggesting that all babies should sleep through and that cereals in their milk will aid this.

Tooth decay occurs most when certain types of carbohydrate are present in the mouth. The 'extras' listed above are all carbs in goodnight milks, hence the increased risk of decay.

I do not know whether teeth should be cleaned after any sort of formula, in an ideal world quite probably. Infant formulas are acidogenic, one factor in tooth decay. Fortunately I've not had to worry about it, as provided there are no other carbs in the mouth, breastmilk doesn't raise the same issues.

It's all crap, I'm sure it's just a way to get round adsvertising!! Babies need feeding at night time, and they need milk, not these weird added things!! We'll be drugging our babies to get them to sleep through next!!

Kathryn -that's exactly why medised is no longer available for young babies , because there were anecdotes of parents using it regularly to sedate babies . Our culture has forgotten what is 'normal' as regards infant feeding and sleep behaviour.

God no,I wouldnt drug him!!

I have used cow and gate since my milk dried up (at 3 months) and have found my daughter got on very well with it, although, on advice of midwife, had to switch to hungry baby version. We did try good night milk at about 9 months as our very good sleeper decided to start waking up although not hungry. We got through one tub and she was back to normal again so went back to original, whether it worked or coincidence i have no idea. Also, i do not agree on drugging babies but when a happy baby who has always slept well starts having problems there is always an explanation. And as first time parents you try everything anyone suggests (within reason!). So, it made perfect sense to try a formula that was thicker and was supposed to help promote sleep. And I do think theses things are aimed at us first timers!

that's a good point alice about it being aimed at forst timers. As a matter on interest, did you realise it had added potato starch in it?

As it's aimed at babies post six months, I don't see why we can't be encouraged to give our children some supper before bed. This will have the same effect and surely be more nutricious?

the product itself sits very uncomfortably with me, not because I'm pro breastfeeding per se, but because I think it will be used by parents of babies younger than six months to help get the babies sleeping through, and thereby possibly damaging immature guts which aren't ready for solids.

Well, it was suggested to me by people (more than one) who used to put baby rice in bottles, something I would never do, but 20yrs ago was quite normal. I think first timers are generally very careful but my worry would be the (possibly) younger parents whose own parents are a little too involved and tend to take over and so the younger parent is confused, mum telling them one thing and midwife telling them another. Does that make sense? I know of a few in this situation. Also, no i didn't realise it had potato starch in, although my dd was weaned anyway, so not too much of a worry. I agree with your point of it being given to young babies though, there should be a warning of some sort i think. Sorry, i do tend to ramble!

agree with daisy. give more food before bed rather than formula with added starch. I think it's hideously cynical marketing.

It's horrible when you're caught in the middle of conflicting advice from HCPs and parents. Thankfully mine were pretty good at butting out!

Alice - what happened when your milk dried up? Was there a medical reason?
I'm just v nosey so feel free to tell me to mind my own

Agree with TotalChaos.

Are all the products - except the actual formula milk that replaces breastmilk - not just cows milk with vitamins added? And soooo expensive.

A UNICEF breasffeeding baby friendly person told me they were only invented when advertising of formula was banned. I have that from her not on my own knowledge though.

All 6m+ products are basically aimed at getting round the ban on advertising 'infant formula'

Its crap that they are allowed to advertise any of it, and they try all sorts to get round the ban. Using younger babies in adverts, insinuating the baby is under 6m by blathering on about night feeds, suggesting the time comes to 'move on from breastfeeding', making packaging of follow-on very similar so confusion can happen, yada yada yada........

...don't get me started...my complaint against them came to nothing cos only 43 people complained.
It makes my blood boil

it is essentailly formula milk with added cereals!!!

It gave my DS terrible stomach cramps.....complained to Cow and Gate and they sent me a £20 voucher.

Its too heavy for babies stomach before they go to bed.

I wont buy it then! I have visions of it sitting in his tummy like porridge or something. Hes not even on solids yet, so dont want to do that to his little tum.