Promotion to mothers and pregnant women
Companies violate the International Code and Resolutions by promoting to mothers in a variety of ways:

  • Advertising
  • Free samples
  • Discounts
  • "Help" lines and "parent clubs"
  • Visits at home or at health facilities
  • "Educational" materials on infant feeding
  • Posters in hospitals, brand names and logos on equipment, pens, pads etc.
  • Information on other products

Some examples from IBFANs monitoring report Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules 2004 and
other monitoring:

  • Companies promote products direct to the public. Sometimes the products featured are infant formula. Sometimes companies picture a follow-on formula with the same brand name and claim this is not a violation by falsely stating follow-on formulas are not breastmilk substitutes and not covered by the International Code.
v Parents in Singapore can fill in coupons in Similac advertisements to receive a free 400g tin. The ads. compare the product with breastmilk and make claims about brain development. One ad (shown left) has the heading "The smart formula for smart babies".
v A leaflet in Singapore designed as babys letter to
Mummy draws comparisons between breastmilk
and Similac Advance: "Mummy, my future is in
your hands... so choose the right formula."
  • Health care facilities display posters, calendars, clocks, stickers and other items with product or
    company brand names. 
  • Seeking direct and indirect contact with pregnant women and mothers of infants and young children (defined as children up to three years of age) is prohibited by the Code. Yet most companies operate telephone Carelines and websites, and many run baby clubs, targetted at pregnant women and mothers.
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For example, in the advertisement left from South Africa Nestle calls mothers to attend absorbing talks on baby feeding: "Hey mums, Nestle Blue Bear and the Baby-Care Friends are in town".

In 2005 Nestle Chief Executive, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, announced the company would place doctors in health facilities to reassure mothers as to the quality of Nestle products after a contamination scare.
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NUMICO has promoted its Milupa Aptamil brand through on-line advertising encouraging mothers to visit a website. The advertisement says: "Discover the facts about breastmilk. Join Milupa Aptamils Mums Network... Mums and mums-to-be are provided with valuable ifno on topics from hypnobirthing, to baby signing to lots more. For more details on forthcoming events, such as the Celebrity Chef Ed Baines Lunch, please click here." The website promotes Aptamil infant and follow-on formulas.
    
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Heinz and other companies in the UK target mothers with direct mail, such as this postcard which states: "We know that you care passionately that babies get the best start... Farleys, Closer by Nature". Farleys is the brand name of Heinz formulas.
v Many companies have subsidiaries with a company name the same as the formula brand name. Dumex is one example. The poster for health facilities, left (from the 2004 report) was produced when Dumex was part of the East Asiatic Company. Dumex is now part of NUMICO. Displaying brand names in health facilities is prohibited by the Code. This additionally implies, through use of the university graduates mortar board, that using Dumex aids intelligence.


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