How the US keeps ahead of motherhood issues

[Hermit]

Swamping them for all they are worth.

US stuns world health officials by opposing breastfeeding

A resolution to encourage breastfeeding was expected to be approved quickly and easily by the hundreds of government delegates who gathered this spring in Geneva for the United Nations-affiliated World Health Assembly.

Based on decades of research, the resolution says that mother's milk is healthiest for children and countries should strive to limit the inaccurate or misleading marketing of breast milk substitutes.

Then the US delegation, embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers, upended the deliberations.

American officials sought to water down the resolution by removing language that called on governments to "protect, promote and support breastfeeding" and another passage that called on policymakers to restrict the promotion of food products that many experts say can have deleterious effects on young children.

When that failed, they turned to threats, according to diplomats and government officials who took part in the discussions. Ecuador, which had planned to introduce the measure, was the first to find itself in the cross hairs.

The Americans were blunt: If Ecuador refused to drop the resolution, Washington would unleash punishing trade measures and withdraw crucial military aid. The Ecuadorean government quickly acquiesced.

Continued here.

Mind you, that's probably an Obama initiative Trump got saddled with. Same as the abortion issue. Trump is really, really pro choice, but those damn dems...



Such a liberal swamp drainer, this Trump.

[Rum]

Corporate capitalism at work. Refuse to let women have rights over their own bodies and then when they have babies against their will make their titties swell up so they hurt cos they have to feed 'em formula!

Male Hegemony as well of Capital at work - perfect storm...or something.

I wish the Ruskies were the good guys some days.

[Sean Hayden]

Breastfeeding is encouraged at hospitals. I'm not sure what this measure is about. But as a country we've swung from formula to breastfeeding. It's up to the woman obviously. It's uncomfortable for some women, and not for others.

[Rum]

Breastfeeding is encouraged at hospitals. I'm not sure what this measure is about. But as a country we've swung from formula to breastfeeding. It's up to the woman obviously. It's uncomfortable for some women, and not for others.

You would probably have responded more helpfully if you have read the article in the link.

[Sean Hayden]

More helpfully, please, I made the same assumptions as you to begin with. Then I actually thought for a minute...

[Rum]

More helpfully, please, I made the same assumptions as you to begin with. Then I actually thought for a minute...

The article describes how American corporations vetoed a declaration about the benefits of breast feeding in order to promote their own baby feed products and in the process countries were threatened with reduced aid if they didn't go along with it.

Just to clarify.

[Sean Hayden]

"The resolution as originally drafted placed unnecessary hurdles for mothers seeking to provide nutrition to their children," an HHS spokesman said in an email.

"We recognise not all women are able to breastfeed for a variety of reasons. These women should have the choice and access to alternatives for the health of their babies, and not be stigmatised for the ways in which they are able to do so."

...combined with the big push to make breastfeeding the first option in hospitals already I'm struggling to see how your knee jerk reaction to the corporate bogeyman under your bed is helpful here....

[Brian Peacock]

The evidence is clear. Only fixing the market can undermine it, and even then I don't know how you can undo what is already known about the benefits of breast feeding - other than printing lies in text books I guess.

[Sean Hayden]

Apparently they convinced my grandmother's generation formula is best. Today, because breastfeeding is pushed so hard that just sounds insane. Isn't it possible it's pushed too hard or unwisely in some situations.

[Hermit]

Isn't it possible it's pushed too hard or unwisely in some situations.

Possibly, but in light of what we know about breastfeeding and milk formulae, the World Health organisation's proposed resolution to "protect, promote and support breastfeeding" and another passage that called on policymakers to restrict the promotion of food products that many experts say can have deleterious effects on young children, does not look like an instance of it. I rather think blackmailing of other countries by the US administration to get them to water down the resolution is a matter of pushing too hard the other way.

Milk formula is a US$70 billion per annum industry, with the largest chunk of sales happening in developing and underdeveloped countries. Nestlé, headquartered in Glendale, California, is the dominant player in that field, and since June last year it has come under immense pressure by the founder of its fourth largest shareholder, Third Point Management's Daniel S. Loeb, to be more aggressive with its marketing strategy in order to accelerate growth and increase its profit margin.

[Sean Hayden]

You're just determined to make me hate the world, aren't you?

Anyway, if it's true then I think there should be consequences for the US.

[pErvinalia]

You need to come to the light side, Straya, Sean!

[Hermit]

You're just determined to make me hate the world, aren't you?

No way. That is just too indiscriminate. Just hate certain aspects of it - like corporations who have no moral scruples when it comes to maximising profits. Oh, and gullible people who vote for politicians that say that this is good for everyone. And do that with one country at a time. Start with one that is close at hand. That's what I do. Don't believe me? Search my posts using "Australia" plus "Abbott", "Howard", "conservatives", "racist", "white Australia policy" or something like that. You'll find ten times more bile there than anything Faulty Too - or you for that matter - have come up with about your own nation.

[Sean Hayden]

That's a fair point Hermit. I'll try to be more mindful of that in the future.

[Brian Peacock]

Apparently they convinced my grandmother's generation formula is best. Today, because breastfeeding is pushed so hard that just sounds insane. Isn't it possible it's pushed too hard or unwisely in some situations.

I don't know how hard boob noshing is pushed in the US maternity system, or when well-intentioned encouragement turns to nagging or even a kind of bullying (in public health terms), but I know it's not for every new mum. Mum's definitely shouldn't be belittled if they opt for the bottle over the boob.