MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'infant formula'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:36:21 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532574&cid=t_101511_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fbz21nVunmHE%2F Abbott Laboratories and its marketing of the Similac infant formula is again under a microscope. The latest episode involves a new mobile phone app that offers a plethora of tidbits and tools for tracking feeding schedules for babies (see this). And the app is getting some favorable reviews from some mommy bloggers (look here and here), but what is not evidently clear is that these moms were paid by a company doing work for Abbott. Now, not all of the reviews are entirely favorable, and the mom bloggers do appear to disclose that payment was received from a firm called Collective Bias, which describes itself as “an emerging media firm focused on the intersection of mobile/social media and social shopper marketing” (read here), although the moms insist their thoughts are their o... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532574 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:57:12 +0100 4532574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4446034&cid=t_101511_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FSZss_ZM6lJg%2F For the past few years, Abbott Laboratories has regularly mailed a survey to new moms about breastfeeding and the use of infant formula. The marketing move reflects a vested interest, since Abbott sells the Similac baby formula, which recently made headlines after beetles were discovered in one of its factories, prompting a recall (see this). The survey, however, comes from the National Institute for Infant Nutrition, a non-existent entity, which has caused a few quizzical moms to post questions and skeptical remarks on chat boards (look here and here). Not surprisingly, a few suspected the source was, in fact, an infant formula maker. “I think this is a front for the formula companies. They should just be honest about it, imo, and offer to send you free coupons,” wrote one mom... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4446034 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 14:29:48 +0100 4446034 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4003437&cid=t_101511_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FLo0iD8kmVyw%2F What a difference a week can make. That’s the point of a letter written to Abbott Laboratories by Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, after it was learned the drugmaker discovered beetles in a Michigan factory where its Similac powdered infant formula is made,, but took a week to launch a recall. Last week, Abbott began recalling 5 million units after reports by two consumers of contamination. Supposedly, extensive testing found 99.8 percent of products did not show signs of contamination, but Abbott bolstered its call centers and expanded the bandwidth of its websites to contend with an outpouring of consumer concern. The recall will cost Abbott about $100 million in lost sales. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Food and... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4003437 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:26:58 +0100 4003437 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688642&cid=t_101511_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fpush-for-regulation-of-infant-formula%2F In response to a call for ways in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could advance the health needs of children, the United States Breastfeeding Committee submitted a letter detailing its concerns with the safety and efficacy of infant formula. In summary, the Committee seeks: 1. Adequate testing of new ingredients prior to their addition to infant formula and updated FDA review and approval procedures for those ingredients. 2. Close monitoring for adverse reactions to the products and a public report of those reactions. 3. Review and any necessary repudiation of the health claims made in the marketing of formula. 4. Advice to consumers that formula is not sterile, poses dangers due to contamination, and must be properly prepared. Newborn baby in father's hands by Michelle Bergka... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688642 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:15:26 +0100 2688642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2685167&cid=t_101511_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blisstree.com%2Fbreastfeeding123%2Fadvertising-of-infant-milk%2F Ever since the first artificial baby milk became commercially available in 1867, the infant formula makers have battled for market share — battled amongst themselves and battled against breastfeeding. At times it seems like breastfeeding is losing that battle in spite of a clearly superior “product” and a price that can’t be beat! Why is that? Well, when we examine why breastfeeding rates are not where we would like them to be, we can certainly look to questionable birth and hospital practices, poor breastfeeding support, and lack of proper education in the medical community. In the end though, the battle comes down to money. Formula makers invest millions of dollars in advertising and marketing each year. A 2006 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office c... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2685167 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 17:27:57 +0100 2685167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039981&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F12%2Fdo-babies-need-dha-in-their-baby-food.html It’s always been in breast milk, then it appeared in infant formula and now you can find it in baby food.  It’s DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).  So what is DHA and do you need to be feeding your baby DHA-supplemented baby food? What is DHA? DHA is a special fatty acid critical to brain and eye development in babies and young children.  Babies get a bunch of it during the last trimester of gestation and then become dependent upon getting DHA in their diets.  DHA is found in breast milk (as it turns out, levels in breast milk depend upon your diet) and it first was added to infant formula here in the U.S. in 2002. What does it do?  Studies have shown that DHA, when added to a baby’s diet at certain levels, can improve brain development and vision.&#0... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039981 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:04:43 +0100 2039981 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2021439&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F12%2F4-formulas-your-baby-will-never-need.html I call it the Great Wall of Formula at Babies R Us.  It’s that quarter mile long aisle of infant formulas that's supposed to hold the ticket to a content, care-free baby.  But if you spend any time there you’re apt to wind up more bamboozled than anything else. Here’s why:  Your baby doesn’t need most of ‘em.Let’s talk about 4 types of formula your baby will likely never need:Lactose-free formula.  As a baby stomach specialist at the largest children’s hospital in the U.S. I have yet to figure out why lactose-free formula is produced.  This is a formula without any indication.  It is a regular old cow’s milk based formula without lactose.  But here’s the problem:  babies don’t have issues with lactose... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2021439 Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:00:56 +0100 2021439 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2017580&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F12%2Fmelamine-in-us-formulas-why-im-not-concerned.html So it’s looking like the great U.S. melamine scare of 2008 has appropriately turned out to be a big nothing.  If you missed it, the FDA reported small amounts of melamine in all three of the major formula manufacturers here in the U.S.  And if you’ve really had your head in the sand, melamine is the stuff that Chinese milk suppliers were using to create the appearance that their milk was better than it was.  The result was 50,000 babies with kidney stones and a few deaths. So it was true that the FDA found trace amounts of melamine in U.S. formula but at levels that are barely detectable.  To illustrate, this is the equivalent of one drop of melamine in 64 gallons of infant formula.  Or 10,000 times of that seen in the China scandal.  But there’s ... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2017580 Sat, 06 Dec 2008 13:35:42 +0100 2017580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1436851&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F05%2Fwic-commits-to.html Maryland’s Howard County Health Department has taken the step of providing only bisphenol A-free products to its WIC (Woman’s, Infants and Children) Program. WIC provides supplies and supplemental foods to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children under the age of 5. According to Maryland Med, Dr. Peter Beilensen, Howard County’s top health official “hopes to turn BPA into another trans fat: legal but largely shunned by the public.” As far as I can tell this is one of the first WIC programs in the country to take a firm stand on BPA. But here’s the $64,000 question: Will the Howard County Department of Health restrict infant formulas packaged in BPA lined containers? And if you’re going to be BPA-free, how free do you need to be? While I respect Dr. Beile... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1436851 Mon, 12 May 2008 05:05:00 +0100 1436851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1426331&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F05%2Fsay-no-to-lacto.html Let’s put an end to lactose-free formula. Babies just don’t need it Here are the facts: babies go through a very transient period where their production of lactase (the bowel enzyme necessary for digestion of lactose) is subpar. Beyond this very early and temporary period, babies tolerate lactose just fine. There are a handful of babies in recorded medical history who have been born without lactase. And unless you’ve birthed one of these half-dozen babies, your baby shouldn’t need a lactose-free formula. One exception: viruses may injure the lining of the small bowel to the point where lactase can be temporarily lost. While some pediatricians will recommend going lactose-free during this time period, there’s little evidence that it actually improves a baby’s course of diarrhea... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1426331 Wed, 07 May 2008 06:00:00 +0100 1426331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329974&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F03%2F5-things-you-sh.html Overheat it. Excessive heat will damage vitamins and protein (ditto freezing). Heat in warm water for 10 minutes or so and remember that cold formula has yet to kill a baby. And while everyone’s done it from time to time, avoid the microwave. Make your own recipes. Don’t think you’re smarter than Mead Johnson or Abbott, prepare formula as instructed. Adding less water, for example, to help your baby gain weight should only be done under the direction of a professional. The wrong mixture can lead to dangerous levels of minerals. Let it sit. Prepared or opened infant formula should never be allowed to sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Sugar and warmth = growth of the weird and wonderful. In the fridge, formula is good for about 24 hours. When in doubt, throw it out. P... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329974 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:29:17 +0100 1329974 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1320537&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F03%2Fnutramigen-aa-.html Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the formula aisle, Mead Johnson introduces Nutramigen AA. This is an amino acid-based infant formula for babies with severe milk protein allergy. Amino acid-based formulas differ from standard formulas in that their protein is treated and completely broken down into its most basic element, the amino acid (thus the “AA” in the name). Nutramigen AA will take its place next to two amino acid-based infant formulas currently available on the market, Neocate and Elecare. These formulas are sometimes called elemental or ultrahydrolyzed formulas. So does Nutramigen AA bring anything new to the table? It wouldn’t appear that way. From a protein allergy perspective, all three amino acid-based formulas on the market are identical – after all, ... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1320537 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:07:45 +0100 1320537 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1134626&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2008%2F01%2Faap-report-addr.html The American Academy of Pediatrics today issued a clinical report to guide early feeding for children at risk for allergy. Breast-feeding again comes out on top but contrary to advice offered in 2000, food avoidance during pregnancy is no longer a concern. The clinical report if nothing else serves as an excellent review of what’s known about early feeding and the risk for allergy. Here are the take home points: 1. The restriction of peanuts or other foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding doesn’t lower a child’s risk of allergies. 2. For infants with a family history of allergy, exclusive breast-feeding for at least 4 months can lessen the risk of cow milk allergy early in life. 3. Among formula fed infants at risk for developing allergies there is evidence that allergy be delay... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1134626 Tue, 08 Jan 2008 04:09:04 +0100 1134626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1051229&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F11%2Fdo-parents-want.html Last week I recommended Carnation Good Start with Natural Cultures to mother who had visited my office. She had considered Good Start but sheepishly confessed that she discounted it when she found it was less expensive than the competitor. It seems some parents believe a high price tag formula holds some advantage for their baby. Are there cases where it’s a good idea to spend more for formula? Very few. Here are a few situations where you can expect formula to come at a higher cost: Allergy. Hydrolysed formulas such as Nutramigen and Alimentum are costly to prepare and consequently come at a higher cost. Expect to pay about 350 dollars a month to feed your typical 4-month-old baby with hydrolysed formula. Extensively hydrolysed formulas such as Neocate are more expensive and will cost... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1051229 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:12:18 +0100 1051229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=979242&cid=t_101511_134_f&fid=35152&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsstrumello.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F10%2Finsulin-vials-topped-with-rubber.html What do you all think of this ad?It's powerful, but don't expect to see it run, as this ad was shelved in favor of a less effective ad that ran for a very short time (see below for that ad).Apparently this was a concept ad that was proposed to the Department of Health and Human Services in an attempt to raise the nation's historically low rate of breast-feeding. A few years ago, federal health officials commissioned an attention-grabbing ad campaign to try and convince mothers that their babies faced genuine health risks if they did not breast-feed. The campaign featured striking photos of not only insulin vials and syringes, but also asthma inhalers topped with rubber nipples (see BrandWeekNRx.com for all of the pictures).But this ad, along with several others, were apparently caught up i... Scott's Web Log blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=979242 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:30:00 +0100 979242 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=644898&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F05%2Fsome_preemie_si.html Preemies take note: Abbott’s Ross Product division has recalled 3 lots of Similac Special Care Ready-to-Feed formula for iron levels that don't match those of the label. The recall is limited to stock code number 59582 with lot numbers 46815D5, 47847D5 or 52023D5 printed on the outside carton and case and the lot numbers 44427X8, 44427X81 or 50005X8 printed on the bottom of the bottles. No other liquid or powdered Similac infant formulas are affected. You can click through directly to Abbott’s press release for recall information. (Source: Parenting Solved) Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=644898 Sun, 27 May 2007 17:41:25 +0100 644898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=528848&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F04%2Fget_neocate_cov.html Parents faced with feeding their baby's Neocate are often struck by its cost. What’s even more striking is the fact that nutritional products like Neocate aren’t covered except in unusual circumstances. And at over $600 a month this can represent a real burden for some families. So what can you do? I’ve seen lots of ideas fall flat but there’s one that seems to do the trick if you can pull it off. If you work for a moderate-sized company approach the most senior member of human resources and discuss your dilemma. Ask if they would be willing to discuss the case with the insurance carrier’s representative. The insurance companies know that the HR folks have an impact in choosing next year’s insurance carrier for the company. And no one wants an unhappy customer. As a rule, a he... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=528848 Sat, 07 Apr 2007 21:29:37 +0100 528848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=478487&cid=t_101511_123_f&fid=34778&url=http%3A%2F%2Fparentingsolved.typepad.com%2Fparenting_solved%2F2007%2F03%2Fnestles_probiot.html The buzz in the nursery is that Nestle is about to release the American market’s first FDA approved probiotic-supplemented infant formula, Good Start Supreme with Natural Cultures. Their pet bug is Lactobacillus bifidus which is the predominant organism found in the intestinal tract of breast-fed babies. It’s felt that much of the breast-fed baby’s wellness is tied to this population of colonic critters. L. bifidus is known to help with the synthesis of vitamins B & K as well as improve the absorption of other minerals. Immune enhancing benefits including improved release of IgA in the intestinal tract and suppression of intestinal pathogens are among its attributes. While most parents are open to probiotic use in children, their use in infancy is new territory. Safety shouldn’t b... Parenting Solved blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=478487 Sat, 17 Mar 2007 14:59:27 +0100 478487