Stories on parents diluting (or overconcentrating) formula: 
http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=warning-a-little-water-can-hurt--es-2008-12-04
 
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080801184428AAolR9p
 
http://www.ismp.org/consumers/Formula.asp
 
On a related note, I once heard this story from an ER nurse.  A mom brought in her baby at 2am (!), and the baby had been pooping bright green all day.  Why did she wait until the middle of the night to bring him in?  No idea.  In any case, the nurse asked what she'd been feeding the baby.  Kool-aid.  She'd run out of formula.  (I wonder how she could afford Kool-aid on her budget.)  So, yes, people do do this.  
 
I'm not sure what the answer is.  I would have thought that if WIC programs gave vouchers that could be used for any approved food, that they would choose to use the baby's vouchers on food for the rest of the family instead of formula, but if that's about what they do in the UK, and they're still buying formula, then that would probably not work here (USA) either.  
 
I think it would be helpful if it were illegal for doctors and nurses to give out formula samples.  It's kind of like if they were giving out cigarette samples and then saying, "don't smoke."  What if the AAP and ACOG had policies on this?  

Julie Tardos

~~~
Breastfeed early, and breastfeed often.
It's just like voting.

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