Infant Feeding
Anatomy of a Controversy 1973-1984
Published on 1. June 1988
Book
Hardback
XVII, 169 pages
978-3-540-19514-6 (ISBN)
Description
Infant Feeding
is about a controversy which fascinated the medical and scientific world, as well as national and international health authorities, politicians, religious groups and consumer organisations, for more than 11 years. It often disturbed public opinion, being concerned, as it is, with nothing less than the life and death of babies. The infant food industry was directly accused of having caused a decline in breast-feeding through the inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes. The problem was said to be particularly acute in poor under-developed communities, because illiterate mothers were unable to understand instructions for its use, water was often contaminated and, in order to "stretch" an admittedly expensive product, it was over-diluted. The inevitable result, said the critics of industry, was malnutrition, gastroenteritis and increased infant mortality. These were very serious charges against companies which had until then been generally considered to provide an important contribution to medical progress and child health. One company was to be particularly singled out: Nestlé SA, the Swiss multinational. Perhaps it became the target because it was the longest establishment, and served well as a symbol of the whole industry. It is a story which is full of confrontations, intrigue and passionately-held opinions, based, nevertheless, on a sizeable body of medical science. After countless twists and turns, it has some sort of "happy ending". Yet a great deal remains to be said, as will be seen throughout the book.
More details
Edition
1st Edition.
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Springer Berlin
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
biography
Weight
475 gr
ISBN-13
978-3-540-19514-6 (9783540195146)
DOI
10.1007/978-1-4471-1618-9
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
11/2011
Springer
€53.49
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Persons
Content
1. The Charges.- "Breast is Best".- Decline in Breast-Feeding.- The Vast Majority of Mothers Can Breast-Feed.- Health Hazards of Feeding Breast Milk Substitutes.- Infant Formula a Drain on National Resources.- Infant Formula Marketing.- 2. Medical and Scientific Commentary on Charges made against the Infant Food Industry.- Terminology.- The Charges.- Points of Agreement.- Breast is Best (with Few Exceptions).- Immune Properties of Breast Milk.- Hazards of Feeding Breast Milk Substitutes.- Breast-Feeding, Lactational Infertility, and Demography.- Mother-Infant Interrelationships.- Decline in Breast-Feeding.- Supplements, Complements and Weaning.- Breast or Bottle: a Non-Choice.- Supplementation in Traditional Society.- Can the Great Majority of Mothers Breast-Feed Successfully?.- The Adequacy of Exclusive Breast-Feeding.- Lactation in Malnourished Mothers.- Feed the Mother.- Does Faltering Matter?.- The Working Mother.- Concluding note.- 3. Origins of the Controversy.- Third World Context.- Feed the Mother.- Industry Participation.- PAG Statement No. 23.- ICIFI: Formalising Industry Cooperation.- The Debate Goes Public.- The New Internationalist Report.- The Baby Killer.- Policy Review.- 4. Focus on Nestlé The Bern Trial.- Naming Nestlé.- The Swiss Activists.- Identifying the Activists.- Suggested Settlement.- Defendant's Public Relations Strategy.- Reduced Charges.- Courtroom Testimony.- Nestlé Press Conference.- Written Testimony.- Back to the Courtroom.- Dr. Jelliffe's Testimony.- Final Hearings.- Summing Up.- The Judgement.- 5. The US Campaign.- Religious Groups' Support.- Shareholder Resolutions.- Shareholders Go To Court.- Nestlé in the US.- Formation of INFACT.- Launch of the Boycott.- First Meeting with INFACT.- Continuation of the Boycott.- Next: Political Action.- 6. Into the Political Arena.- Importance of Hearings.- Preparation for Testimony.- Choosing a Spokesman.- Questionable Credentials.- Fateful Statement.- Result of Hearings.- Follow-Up Meeting.- Into the Mouths of Babes.- ICIFI Enters the Scene.- Confrontation with the National Council of Churches.- Preparations for WHO Meeting.- 7. Developing International Recommendations: the WHO Code.- WHO Programme.- Politics of Policy-Making.- Planning the Meeting.- Working Groups.- Consensus on Marketing.- Nestlé's Response.- Nestlé's Checklist for Marketing Practices.- Activists Resurgent.- Development of ICIFI Model Code.- Industry "Violations".- Difficult Drafting Job.- Regulation or Recommendation?.- 8. Escalation of the Campaign and Nestlé's Response.- Escalation: Further Observations on the Controversy from Industry's Standpoint.- The Power of a Simple Message.- Playing on the Emotions.- Professional Endorsement.- Church, Politics and Press.- Nestlé's Response.- Development of Product and Marketing Policy.- Emphasis on Breast-Feeding.- Mothercraft Activities.- Medical Representatives.- Product Sampling and Free Supplies to Hospitals.- Safety in Preparation and Feeding.- Protecting Vulnerable Consumers.- United Methodist Task Force.- 9. Implementing the WHO Code.- ICIFI Disbanded.- Dialogue with the United Methodists.- Code Implementation at the National Level.- The Nestlé Instructions.- Audit Committee.- Nestlé Announces its New Policy.- Interpreting the WHO Code.- Revising the Nestlé Instructions.- Support for the Boycott Wanes.- 10. Resolution of the Conflict.- The "Four" Points.- January 1984 Discussions.- Nestlé Statement of Understanding.- Nestlé/INBC Agreement.- Boycott Suspension.- Termination of the Nestlé Boycott.- 11. Epilogue.- Appendix 1. The Nestlé Infant Formula Audit Commission - (NIFAC) Charter.- Appendix 2. Nestlé Statement of Understanding.- Appendix 3. Addendum to the Nestlé Statement of Understanding.