News article

Formula company sponsors mediocre lactation toolkit

February 20, 2009

With a formula company logo on the bottom of every page of materials, a trio of sponsors has released a new “Workplace Lactation Program.” As one of the sponsors, Abbott Nutritionals, manufacturer of Similac infant formula, features prominently in all the materials. The program’s release comes on the heels of the of the federal government’s new program, “The Business Case for Breastfeeding.”

The other sponsors of the toolkit are Corporate Voices for Working Families, and Working Mother Media, which publishes Working Mother magazine. While the sponsors say the toolkit is specifically aimed at low-wage hourly workers, its employee materials are written at at a least a twelfth grade reading level. Health literacy experts recommend using a sixth grade reading level for the general public. The materials refer mothers to the Abbott website for tips on breastfeeding.

The poor graphic layout of the employee materials make them difficult to read and not user-friendly. The employee materials are dense with text, and light on visuals and open space. The employee materials have large highlighted sections on breastfeeding problems, making breastfeeding appear fraught with difficulties. Although the materials list various resources around breastfeeding, including the formula company website, they make no mention of the government’s Business Case for Breastfeeding.

Previous research on materials from formula companies have shown they undermine confidence in nursing mothers, particularly first-time mothers, women of color, and those with lower educational levels.

Because breastfeeding and infant formula directly compete with each other for market share of infant nutrition, any effective breastfeeding strategy may cut into formula sales and profits. “The only way to sell more formula is to sell less breastfeeding,” says Dr. Melissa Bartick, chair of the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition. Numerous resources are already available that do not have an inherent conflict of interest.

Marsha Walker, head of the National Alliance of Breastfeeding Advocacy and an MBC Board member, says, “Companies who want to burnish their corporate image by using this mediocre material are not showing good corporate citizenship.” If employers truly want to support their lactating employees, they should use the government’s Business Case for Breastfeeding, adds Walker, noting that this program is also designed to include low-wage hourly workers.

Walker also suggests that members of the public also contact Corporate Voices and Working Mother Media to express their concerns.

• Donna Klein, dklein@cvworkingfamilies.org, President of Corporate Voices.
• Carol Evans, carol.evans@workingmother.com, President/CEO of Working Mother Media.

See the Corporate Voice press release here.