Submitted by mamabare on Sun, 01/04/2004 - 12:58am
I received a survey in the mail a few weeks ago from "the Research Institure of Mother and Child Care" in Columbus, Ohio. The survey asks very specific questions re: your child's feeding habits. The questions regarding formula use are VERY detailed--what brands of formula you feed your baby, beginning when, where do you buy it, etc. The survey says it's goal is "to better understand the methods of infant feeding and products used in the feeding and care for babies today."
I did a general query online and could find out nothing about this "Research Institute of Mother and Child Care." Based on the specific nature of the questions (and the lack of credentials on the survey's letter), I suspect that this survey is a tool of formula makers, to find ways to more aggressively market their products.
I discarded the original survey I received, and today I received another copy, along with a 10 minute prepaid phone card, which will only be activated if the survey is received by a cerain date.
As a breast-feeding mother and advocate, I do not want to help the formula industry in any way. However if this survey is indeed for pure, non-profit research purposes, I would be happy to be part of it.
Has anyone else received this survey? Does anyone know anything about it?
--mamabare
thank goodness
i just got this survey as well, and as others said this is the only place i've found any info. i'm glad other mom's were skeptical. i answered it truthfully, proudly saying that my baby hadn't ever had their artificial milk. then in the huge blank space where i could have filled in all the brands i'd purchased (i'm sure glad i've been able to spend money on better things for my child) i wrote them a not-so-friendly little note explaining how i felt about their free samples and propaganda trying to convince women that what they produce isn't enough or even worse how convenient it would be to formula feed. my baby had latch problems and we spent the first six weeks of his life working with lactation consultants and pumping and bottle feeding. it was miserable and in my most desperate moments those free samples taunted me. we threw them away and didn't give up. he's now almost 10 months and can nurse like a champ. he is the happiest healthiest baby i know. women need more support and education and less corporate marketing and dirty drug company tricks. even my 60 year old conservative republican father-in-law says "it's practically child abuse not to breastfeed".
market research survey
My baby is 4 1/2 months old, and I just received this survey. This survey is PURE MARKET RESEARCH! I was particularly annoyed by the last question about whether I would request organic infant formula in the hospital if it were available.
This survey is conducted by Ross Products, a division of Abbott Labs, a pharmaceutical company, that makes Similac and Isomil. My main complaint is that the letter disguises the market research in a survey that purports itself to be interested in breastfeeding trends. Also, they don't give full disclosure about who is sponsoring the survey, which is unethical in research; and thus they are essentially doing the survey without your full consent (also unethical).
It's too bad, because there are some legitimate surveys out there, for example the PRAMS survey (Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring system) sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) which collects state-specific, population-based data on maternal attitudes and experiences prior to, during and immediately following pregnancy.
In my opinion, if it is too hard to figure out who is sponsoring a survey, even by googling it, there is likely a fishy origin.
Ha! I just got this survey and was filling it out when
all of a sudden I was like "this is fishy, I'll google them" and this node came up first. I think I'll toss it, I hate market research.
I don't do the dishes, I throw them in the crib.
-Courtney Love
Thanks for this post!
I'm so glad I find this post. I received one of these surveys a few weeks ago, but I was to busy to look into it. I just came across in on my desk and was curious about the company behind the "research institute." You have saved me a ton of research time!
research institute of mother and child care
I just got on of these in the mail and I did an internet search also and just found your blog. I believe I received one of these when my first child was born and I think I filled it out. That was a couple years ago. I am also for breast feeding, as I am doing that currently with my latest addition in May. I guess this can't hurt especially if they see that more mothers are breast feeding these days, which it seems to me they are. I also believe in research for companies so they can know which direction to take in their businesses. It would be nice to know more about them though. In today's correspondence, you really don't know where things are coming from.
mamak
if you are not useing
if you are not useing formula i doubt anything you tell them would help to enable them. Just say i breastfeed no formula used at all. doesn't give them much to work with and you get a free phone card.
Jessica
"It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life"
Good Riddance, Green Day.
Jessica
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind~~Dr.Seuss
the message is out there!
it's a woman's choice to breastfeed. formula companies offer an alternative and honestly, with less of a guilt-trip than LeLeache League et al. some women would rather bottle-feed than have zealot telling them how to raise their baby. we have all heard "breast is best." Enough already. More women would breastfeed if offered non-judgmental support and encouragement.
Read The Report
Actually, if you are actually only exclusively breastfeeding and you indicate that in the survey, you are still helping provide valuable information. Read the report. It breaks it down by demographics, race, WIC vs. non-WIC, education, etc. The report to me, is really telling us how many people are breastfeeding, not just using formula. I don't see this as assisting formula companies as much as showing the growing & declining trends of breastfeeding mothers.
That was my
That was my point.
Jessica
"It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life"
Good Riddance, Green Day.
Jessica
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind~~Dr.Seuss
ross *is* a formula company
you know, they manufacture similac and isomil.
"what if the hokey pokey IS what its all about?" - random bumper sticker
"Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies." - Nietzsche
Research Institure of Mother and Child Care
Here's a direct link to info about this survey that many of us new moms have received recently:
http://www.ross.com/images/library/BF_Trends_2003.pdf
You just need Acrobat Reader to see the document. It's quite an extensive study (12 pages), however, the link above is from 2003. Perhaps they are sending out new surveys & gathering info for the next report which will come out who knows when.
I plan to send my survey in today.
feeding survey
Breastfeeding moms,
If this survey is actually being cited by other researchers -- which appears may be the case even though it is by a formula company and not a real research institute -- then by not responding to it at all we may be skewing the results in favor of formula feeders. In other words, Ross will indicate that a smaller percent of mom's breastfeed than actually do. I see little harm and some potential benefit in responding saying that you are exclusively breastfeeding. Just skip the questions about what formula samples you may have received and where. And hold out for the phone card.
Also, someone asked how they got her name and knew she had a baby. I can answer that. I used a pseudonym when I signed up for free issues of PARENTING Magazine at a store called Motherhood. The survey came to my address using that pseudonym. There may be other ways that they get names, but I know for sure this is how they got mine.
-MM
Send it in!!!
I agree with MM - if you don't send it in, the results will be skewed. They already have your name and address, that's why the sent it. So I don't think there's any harm telling them you are breastfeeding.
And if you aren't breastfeeding, they need to know that too. They need to know that improvements they make to formula is worth it or they may stop. This can only help formula get better, which is a good thing. I mostly breastfeed, but do have to suplement with formula when the nanny watches my 7 mth old.
We all win if there is better formula available, even if you don't use it, there are babies out there who HAVE to use it. Keep them in mind.
Stacey
Abbott Laboratories
Dug around Ohio public records.
The Research Institute of Mother and Child Care is a registered trade name of Abbott Laboratories, originally registered 4/15/86, expires 4/15/2006.
...
...
Who's an ass kickin' researcher? That's right!
gonna slap you.
i got the same thing - threw
i got the same thing - threw out the first and recently got a second. i was wondering a lot of the same things.
marketing.
Yeah, it's pretty crappy that what must be a survey designed for formula companies to learn more about selling and marketing their products is masquerading as something that will benefit women and their babies, when the real beneficiaries will be the company owners. I don't think these companies need our free (or the price of a 10 minute phone card--what, 60 cents?) advice. Even if I used formula, I wouldn't want to help them more effectively market their products to me.
Confirmed Answer
It looks like this subject came up quite some time ago at hipmama. But I recently got the survey, too, and did a search for "The Research Institute of Mother and Child Care". Low and behold, the only match found was to the hipmama site! After reading the blogs, I decided to do a little more research. Turns out that Ross (maker of formulas) is located in Columbus AND they have information about this survey available at their website. If you go to www.ross.com and do a search for "mothers survey" (that's what they call it), article #2 is a description of the survey and the results. After reviewing the info. they provided, there was no question that they are the distributors of this survey. So glad I didn't reply! Thanks for sharing the information.
digging around
well, after digging a bit online, i found a page citing various studies on breastfeeding in the US, and they mentioned that one of the major sources of these studies is and was Ross Labs...which makes Similac and Isomil formulas...and which has facilities in Columbus OH.
i bet it's them! if it was someone more (ahem) objective like a research group unconnected to any particular product, i doubt they would be trying to buy you with a phone card, and (as you've mentioned) would probably list their contact info prominently on the questionnaire.
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Tenderfoot: a compilation zine about firsts ~ www.tenderfootzine.com
tenderfoot zine * mamaphiles!
I got the exact same things!
I did the same as you; threw away the first one, then got a second one. I put it aside to try to find out more info on *who* put it out, but have yet to get around to it.
I concur with your assesment, due to the lack of credentials and contact information. Plus, my kids are breastfed, and I dont know how or from where they got our address or found out we had a new baby.
BTW, I live in TX, and my youngest ds is 6 months old.
Just Got One
Thought it looked like a formula company's, so I Googled it and found this discussion. I'm breastfeeding 9-month-old twins, and I nursed my eldest until I found out at 17 months that I had a high-risk pg. I think I will send it back, but I'm sure hoping they don't send me any damn samples.
hi! :)
i think it's really cool that this conversation is showing up on google now, to save folks from having to do all the sleuthing on their own! whether or not to send the questionnaire back is up to each individual, but i do wish these companies were more up-front about who's funding & carrying out this research.
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Tenderfoot: a compilation zine about firsts ~ www.tenderfootzine.com
tenderfoot zine * mamaphiles!