"Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations." --George Orwell
Suzanne Barston, CLC (Certified Lactation Consultant) is employed by AbbVie, a spinoff company from its parent company Abbott Labs. And silence rains upon the land. No one's talking, including breastfeeding advocacy organizations. I did ask the certification organizations for the credential CLC, if they would care to comment. Nope, nada and they can't even tell me whether Suzanne Barston is still certified or not. Fascinating how blinded organizations are in regard to the infant formula industry and its influence.
Speaking of influence, exactly who influenced the US Health Department regarding the US position on breastfeeding at the World Health Assembly in May of this year? Could it have been a task force meeting held in February by the US National Institute of Child Health and Development? The Task Force was created regarding research on pregnant and lactating women (PRGLAC).
"The 21st Century Cures Act established PRGLAC to advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding gaps in knowledge and research on safe and effective therapies for pregnant women and lactating women. PRGLAC is tasked with identifying these gaps and will report its findings back to the Secretary." https://www.nichd.nih.gov/About/Advisory/PRGLAC
**The US Secretary of Health and Human Services is Alex Azar, previously President and CEO of ELI Lilly and Company (US Division) and delegate in May of this year to the World Health Assembly's meeting on breastfeeding. The US threatened various delegates about their support of breastfeeding. And made various proposals to change the language of breastfeeding support.
The people who attended the February meeting held by the NICHD that reported to the Secretary of HHS, Alex Azar, included 3 members of the Fed Is Best Foundation-Beth del Castillo, Dr. Christie del Castillo-Hegyi, and Jody Segrave-Daly, RN, IBCLC. Representatives from various companies were there: Novartis, Eli Lilly, and various government representatives of the CDC, FDA and NICHD. Also various representatives from US hospitals, for example well-known in breastfeeding research, Diane Spatz.
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2018-03/PRGLAC_PostMeetingParticipants.pdf
Representatives from Lippe Taylor, a PR company also attended this meeting. Their clients just happen to be, Nestle, Gerber, Pfizer, Reckitt Benkiser (Mead Johnson), P&G, Johnson & Johnson, Myriad, etc. Also the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) which has an interest in the gut microbiome.
https://lippetaylor.com/
I have no idea how one gets an invitation to these meetings (not always the same people invited). I am particularly curious how the FIB (Fed Is Best) Foundation was able to get seats at this particular meeting. I certainly don't consider Jody Segave-Daly, RN, IBCLC to represent my views or those of IBCLCs I have known over the years. And I most definitely feel that Dr. Christie del Castillo-Hegyi has little understanding of breastfeeding research. Although she obviously is quite brilliant, having co-invented a patent with Edward A Berger, well known US government molecular biologist, using a genetically engineered monoclonal antibody against hiv.
"A neutralizing monoclonal antibody (MAb) with potent and broadly cross-reactive activity would have great potential value in protocols aimed at preventing HIV infection before or immediately after exposure, for example in neonatal transmission, post-exposure prophylaxis, and as a topical inhibitor. Such a MAb may also be useful in treating chronic infection (D'Souza et al. J. Infect. Dis. 175:1056-1062, 1997). " US Patent #8420099 owned by the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
MAb's can be created by using human milk fat globule and injecting into mice.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20495176_Antibodies_to_Human_Milk_Fat_Globule_Molecules
Although this patent does not appear to use these older techniques to create MAb's. But surprised that Dr. del Castillo-Hegyi can be an expert in molecular biology while also attending medical school. Yet fail to understand breastfeeding research.
Some people may have first heard of the FIB Foundation, when Suzanne Barston introduced Dr. Del Castillo-Hegyi on her Fearless Formula Blog in 2015.
http://www.fearlessformulafeeder.com/2015/05/interview-with-dr-christie-del-castillo-hegyi/
I recently ran across an article by Dr. del Castillo-Hegyi and Jody Segrave-Daly, RN, IBCLC on the World Health Assembly (WHA) breastfeeding decision. I am amazed that they had so much information. Information that I hadn't seen anywhere else regarding the suggestions by the US delegates in changing the language of breastfeeding support at the WHA. They make the following statement,
"Two pediatricians, Dr. Alma Golden and Dr. Brett Giroir, who were key members of the U.S. delegation attending the 71st World Health Assembly, wrote about the rationale for the U.S. opposition of the first draft"
https://fedisbest.org/2018/07/fed-best-foundation-response-u-s-delegation-actions-world-health-assembly/
Dr. Brett Giroir is Assistant US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. He is co-inventor to various patents owned by Baxter, Cytokine Pharma Science and Xoma Technologies. Xoma technologies collaborates with many pharma companies including: Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbott, Elli Lilly and Company as well as the FDA.
Dr. Alma Golden works for USAID and is involved in faith-based organizations for family planning, HIV/AIDS in order to advance global health.
So I suppose I don't really wonder why the US delegates to the WHA seemed so breastfeeding unfriendly, lots of money riding on whether women breastfeed or not. Read an article in Chicago Business from July 9, 2018. It states,
"The Trump's Administration's moves to weaken a resolution promoting breastfeeding at an international forum had a potential local beneficiary, North Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories."
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20180709/NEWS03/180709922/trump-s-moves-to-weaken-breast-feeding-standards-could-impact-abbott
I am left with a lot of questions about those who seem to influence US breastfeeding policy. I understand industry's interest--its about the money. But the FIB Foundation's interest in dismantling breastfeeding advocacy not just in the USA but world-wide is a curious thing.
Valerie W. McClain Copyright 2018
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