Sunday, June 13, 2004

Church playgroup bans breastfeeding mothers
- National - www.smh.com.au
Danielle Teutsch
June 13
The Sun-Herald
"Women attending a church playgroup in Sydney have been banned from breastfeeding unless they go to a separate room in a move that may contravene anti-discrimination laws. Mothers at the weekly playgroup run by St Peter's (Cooks River) Anglican Church at St Peters have been told they might offend passing tradesmen or ethnic groups if they continue to breastfeed in the main hall, where their children play. A group of the women have left the playgroup in disgust at the edict, which they have labelled discriminatory and regressive...."
Valley infants testing formula
East Valley Tribune Online
By Ray Stern, Tribune
"Baby formula companies spend millions of dollars each year to convince parents their products are safe and beneficial for newborns. But someone’s child has to be the first to try them.
That’s where Scottsdale’s Hill Top Research comes in. For about $300 and the satisfaction of helping bring a new product to market, Valley parents let the unknown pass their infant’s lips for six weeks. 'We’re making sure there’s no stomachaches, or colic, stomach distress — those kinds of things,' said Wendy Bullock, in charge of recruiting test subjects at Hill Top, a small complex of offices and laboratories on 75th Street. The company — which has seven other locations in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom — advertises in a local entertainment weekly newspaper, seeking parents of infants 2 weeks to 3 months old. Eight families have signed up so far for the latest study, Bullock said. Safety is a chief concern, although the very nature of the testing means a problem could develop, company representatives said...."