JCAHO has been called a monoply of hospital accreditation.  However, I understand there is a new accrediting body.  What matters is money: if the funders of third-party payments refuse to pay for services in places that violate standards that they establish, things change.  To me, that is the bottom line.  It's all about money and who controls it.  If insurance providers can refuse to pay for care of patients with hospital-acquired infections (as they are now beginning to do), they can refuse to pay for patients who suffer consequences from being formula-fed.  The problem with breastfeeding is you can't force a mom to do it - and hospitals are now having to include formula-feeding-by=choice moms in the statistical denominator.  Third party payors are 

-----Original Message-----
From: Lactation Information and Discussion [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask]
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2011 8:11 PM
Subject: Baby Friendly referred to as a monopoly

Mary has told us about her state's plan to bypass the Baby Friendly designation for a state-created list of actions to impove breastfeeding in the hospital, and the reference to BFHI as a monopoly. This  monopoly reference sounds a lot like formula company language. I am sure that other hospitals have received the hard sell from formula manufacturers working to discourage them from becoming Baby Friendly. Baby Friendly is not a monopoly, it sets the standard of care for lactation support and services in a hospital. I find it interesting that other hospital credentialing programs, like magnet status from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, have not been referred to as a monopoly. While taking steps to improve breastfeeding care practices is important, watering down the Baby Frienly criteria does a disservice to mothers and babies by continuing to allow practices that are known to be detrimental to breastfeeding.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA   

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