NEW REGS AIM TO ENCOURAGE BREAST FEEDING BY TARGETING FORMULA GIVEAWAYS

NEW REGS AIM TO ENCOURAGE BREAST FEEDING
BY TARGETING FORMULA GIVEAWAYS

By Amy Lambiaso

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

BOSTON, DEC. 20, 2005

With more research supporting the benefits of breastfeeding for mothers and their children, state public health officials on Tuesday took a step toward reducing the use of formula by new mothers in hospitals.

The state Public Health Council adopted new regulations today requiring all hospitals to develop a comprehensive policy for breastfeeding that includes the availability of lactation counseling and requiring nurses to have special training on how to help new mothers learn to breastfeed. The regulations also prohibit hospitals from directly marketing formula to mothers as an alternative to breastfeeding; essentially removing from hospital rooms the "gift bags" formula companies had provided to hospitals that included formula sampling, coupons and other items for new mothers.

Sally Fogerty, associate commissioner for the Department of Public Health, said formula will be available to mothers upon request, but it will no longer be given "routinely" to all patients. "If they need it, they can get it there," Fogerty told members of the council at a meeting today, responding to concerns that women who are unable to breastfeed will not have access to formula. Hospital officials say they want to ensure women who cannot afford to buy formula and rely on coupons from the manufacturers and samples from the hospitals can still get the help they need. Items needed for infant care may be "out of reach" for some new mothers, said Paul Wingle, spokesman for the Massachusetts Hospital Association. Public health officials say the Women, Infant and Children (WIC)program, a federal program that provides services, counseling and nutritional food for income-eligible families, is available to assist low-income women and their children, and can provide formula if necessary.

The move makes Massachusetts the first state with a policy prohibiting the direct marketing of formula to new mothers, public health officials said.

Many hospitals, including Boston Medical Center, have individual policies that encourage breastfeeding, and several other states are considering similar regulations, officials said. But drug companies and formula manufacturers say the decision to breastfeed or use formula should be a decision made by the family, not the hospital. "Prohibiting or restricting health care professionals from discussing feeding options and providing formula samples and information. . . . will impede a health care professional's primary goal, namely to ensure the health and well-being of their patient," Mardi Mountford, executive director of the International Formula Council, said in a statement. Fogerty said doctors and nurses will still have discussions with the family about the best feeding options for their child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast milkis the best source of nourishment for newborns because it contains antibodies that can help protect an infant from bacterial and viral infections. Breast milk is also easy to digest and has been shown to lower a mother's risk of developing certain breast and ovarian cancers. Formulas contain many of the same nutrients as breast milk but are not as beneficial to the baby and mother as breastfeeding, officials say. Fogerty said studies also show that babies receive the most benefit if they are given breast milk immediately upon birth. Wanda Barfield, an epidemiologist with the Bureau of Family and Community Health, said breast milk also reduces the risk of babies developing asthma, gastrointestinal problems, and other infections. Hospitals have until July 1, 2006 to comply with the new regulations, officials said.