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Action Alert! - www.canadianparents.com
In direct violation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, The Canadian Parents website (www.canadianparents.com) has an advertisement for Similac Advance formula on its masthead. The placement of ad is particularly dangerous because it is adjacent to a Health Canada article, “10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding.” Research clearly indicates that formula marketing is most successful when it is done under the guise of promoting breastfeeding.
Another article posted on the website entitled, “Bottle Feeding” trivializes negative consequences of bottle-feeding, and fails to list any of the potentially serious health impact associated with this practice. Instead it lists the “cons” of bottle feeding as follows:
TAKE ACTION:
Copies of INFACT Canada’s letters to both follow for your reference:
Hon. Pierre Pettigrew Minister of Health Brooke Claxton Building Tunney’s Pasture PL 0906C Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9 email: Pettigrew.P@parl.gc.ca
Dear Minister Pettigrew:
It has come to my attention that the Canadian Parents website (www.canadianparents.com) has re-printed an article entitled “10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding”, with the permission of Health Canada. Unfortunately, immediately adjacent to the article is an advertisement for Similac Advance formula. I have enclosed a copy of the web page for your reference.
As you are no doubt aware, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes prohibits the promotion or advertising of artificial feeding products. More importantly, research clearly indicates that formula marketing is most successful when it is done under the guise of promoting breastfeeding.
As Canada’s Minister of Health, you have a moral obligation and a political responsibility to protect infant health and uphold the tenets of the International Code. To that end, I respectfully request that Health Canada immediately withdraws its permission to use the “10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding” currently published on the Canadian Parents website.
Tracy Keleher Canadian Parents 45 Coulter Avenue St. Thomas, ON N5R 5A5 email: tracy@canadianparents.com
Dear Tracy Keleher:
It has come to my attention that the Canadian Parents website (www.canadianparents.com) has an advertisement for Similac Advance formula on the masthead. As you are no doubt aware, the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes prohibits the promotion or advertising of artificial feeding products.
The placement of the Similac ad on your website is particularly dangerous because it is adjacent to a Health Canada article, “10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding”, despite the fact that research clearly indicates that formula marketing is most successful when it is done under the guise of promoting breastfeeding.
Another article posted on your website entitled, “Bottle Feeding” trivializes negative consequences of bottle-feeding, and fails to list any of the potentially serious health impact associated with this practice. These include an increased risk of childhood cancer, asthma, ear and respiratory infections, allergies, diabetes and gastrointestinal infections. Formula feed babies also score lower on intelligence and vocabulary tests than their breastfed counterparts. As formula-fed babies grow into adults, they are at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and obesity. For the mother, not breastfeeding means higher risk of breast, ovarian and other cancers.
I have written a letter to Canada’s Health Minister, the Hon. Pierre Pettigrew, expressing my concern about your website and have attached a copy for your reference. I strongly encourage you to disassociate yourself from the formula industry, remove all advertisements and promotions for same, and provide visitors to your website with the truth about the health impacts of formula feeding. To that end I am enclosing a copy of our brochure, “Fourteen Risks of Formula Feeding.”
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