Formula Companies & Big Tobacco

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

What a nice Christmas present to the women of Massachusetts!

Massachusetts Becomes First State to Prohibit Formula Marketing in Hospitals

"We'd never tolerate the thought of hospitals giving out coupons for Big Macs on the cardiac unit," said Dr. Bartick, an internist. Since lack of breastfeeding is clearly associated with multiple adverse health outcomes in children and mothers, distribution of formula marketing materials by hospitals and health care providers has been recognized as unethical since at least 1981, when the World Health Organization approved the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.

I think sending breastfeeding moms home with formula is a subtle way of saying:

"Just in case breastfeeding does not work out, here is your formula, feel free to use it".... It's like a professional formula endorsement from us. And I hate it!

This is no better, IMO, than guilting moms who are set to bottlefeed into breastfeeding.

That is why some of the pediatricians I worked with actually wrote the order to remove the formula from the bags before distribution for breastfeeding moms. And I thought that was a bold, excellent move on their parts. Wish more would do this.

That's exactly what it says. :o I have wondered if there would be issues with just taking the formula out of the breast bags. But, I guess if Moms are expecting it.....

And btw, if it called a "breastfeeding support bag", why isn't there free Lansinoh, and nursing pads, and coupons for free visits to the LC and/or pump rental. Hmmm, now there's an idea for a free breastfeeding bag.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Well the concern raised where I work now, is it's almost like "stealing" or something, to dig in the bags and remove the formula. ( I just don't see it this way, when it's a freebie item, not something they paid for).

I have raised the idea in the past -----for our peds to write the order to remove the formula, coupons and ads for breastbabies, but not one has wanted to do this. Shame. The LC surely is all for it!

We are sending very mixed messages, advocating breastfeeding and giving out formula ads/bags and bottles/powder.

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Could you ask the moms if they would like to have you guys take the formula out of the bag if you feel it is really tempting? "We give out these bags to moms, but some of our breastfeeding moms don't want the formula that's in there? Do you want me to take it out?" Please remember that Wal-Mart is around the corner for most moms and open 24/7. It is the mom's decision to use formula. Nurses shouldn't feel guilty when mom's don't breastfeed either. We don't live in our patients' homes or live their lives. Breastfeeding is a real challenge for some people. While many women will go to enormous lengths to breastfeed others do not. Again, not our choice. I am very pro-unmedicated childbirth. It was great for me. I don't push it on others or look down on women who felt it was too difficult for them. I don't look w/ disdain upon women who ask for an epidural. Now we even have C/S on demand. I don't always agree w/ my patient's choices, but they are their choices, not mine. If one is very pro-breastfeeding, then maybe lobbying our legislators to enact laws to support breastfeeding is the better route. It is incredulous to me how we women will down a mom who doesn't breastfeed. That certainly doesn't recognize what a committment of time and energy breastfeeding is. Some are not able to make this committment. It seems many women, including some nurses take the attitude that if a woman doesn't breastfeed, she doesn't care about her her child. She certainly doesn't care about him/her as much as a good mother "like me" does. This is the attitude the LC's I used to work w/ (all white married,upper-middle class, college educated women able to stay home for a few months after childbirth) took against bottlefeeding moms. I think we should stop judging and start supporting moms. If you ever happen to read something like (I think this is what it is called) "The Girlfriend's Guide to Motherhood", you may be floored to find out that many breastfeeding women sometimes give formula. I think we need to meet our patients where they are at. When you go to the YMCA to start an exercise program, they don't tell you are a failure if you don't run as much Flo Jo.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

excellent post, Imenid!

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Thanks SBE!. I forgot to say we need LC's who take calls at night or also work as night nurses. As a night nurse, I can't tell you how many tearful moms call us at night.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Yep we get those tearful calls too. And I have been known more than once to have a desperate mom/couple come in and have taken them to an empty room and do what I can to help-----or have counseled them over the phone. I feel for them, it can be so hard.

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That's exactly what it says. :o I have wondered if there would be issues with just taking the formula out of the breast bags. But, I guess if Moms are expecting it.....

And btw, if it called a "breastfeeding support bag", why isn't there free Lansinoh, and nursing pads, and coupons for free visits to the LC and/or pump rental. Hmmm, now there's an idea for a free breastfeeding bag.

I just had a baby in November and the "breastfeeding support bag" I got did have Lansinoh, nursing pads, and La Leche League stuff in it. I can't remember what formula brand it was (a label on the outside of the bag), but there was no formula. Maybe they are trying to find a happy medium.

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Our Birth Center is working on Baby Friendly status, and we don't have anything on our floor which endorses formula companies. We do offer a diaper bag, but it looks like a backpack and it has the name of the hospital on it. The backpacks are okay, but really, how many mom's come to the hospital without already having one or a dozen for baby showers or previous children.

Since we are seeking Baby Friendly status, I would love to see a Boppy pillow given as a gift to the moms.

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Excellent posts, SBE, RNLnD, & imed. Thanks for your input!

I knew breastfeeding is controversial but I wasn't expecting this reaction. However, of course, in perspective it hasn't been that bad.

We worry about health care ethics and yet this continues to go on without much fanfare. Hopefully more states will follow.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Breastfeeding is not so controversial; but when we question anyone's choices in how they feed a baby, we can expect to get an emotional response. I agree, we must educate people-----absolutely. But I absolutely will draw the line at that---no guilting anyone from me.

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Since we are seeking Baby Friendly status, I would love to see a Boppy pillow given as a gift to the moms.

Very cool idea. :idea:

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Since we are seeking Baby Friendly status, I would love to see a Boppy pillow given as a gift to the moms.

That's a great idea! Moms do get lots of "stuff". May as well make it useful.:)

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