getChildren on root container with replicant

System

iwserver: 5.5.2 Build 17976 Interwoven 20030323 on Solaris.

I have a DCT that contains code something like this:

<container name="container1">
<container name="container2">
<item name="item1">
<radio required="t" />
</item>
</container>

<inline command="whatever" />

<inline command="whatever" />

<item name="item2">
<replicant default="0" min="0" max="25">
<item name="item3">
<browser required="f" size="60" maxlength="250"/>
</item>
<item name="item2">
<textarea required="f" rows="10" cols="60" validation-regex="^.{0,200}$"/>
</item>
</replicant>
</item>
</container>

I have FormAPI that looks like this:

var what = IWDatacapture.getItem( '/container1' ).getChildren();

for( var k = 0 ; k < what.length ; k++ )
{
alert( what.getName()));
}

When this executes it alerts container2, the two containers generated by the inlines, then instead of "item2" it shows me "/container1". Is this a known issue (when calling getChildren on a container, any replicants in that container are ignored and instead the container itself is returned), and is there any workaround? Why would getChildren return the parent?