The recent discussion on the relationship between hospitals and infant
formula companies is one of my favorites. Many of us are baffled as to why a
hospital insists on giving out discharge packs and has such difficulty with
the concept of purchasing formula. Every other unit buys food for its
patients. The Dairy Council does not drive up with free milk for the
orthopedic unit. The orthopedic unit does not give cartons of milk and yogurt
to its patients when they are discharged. Formula companies pay hospitals
large sums of money for the right to give them free formula. Many hospitals
and formula companies have a contract which stipulates that anywhere from
$50,000 to more than $1 million will be given in cash for "educational"
purposes. This money is administered by the chief of pediatrics or one of the
other chiefs. It is not accounted for anywhere and seldom leads to any direct
benefits for patients. How much of this money have any of you seen?

In addition to the outright cash, these contracts also state what will be
given to the hospital in terms of supplies and equipment (IV set ups,
vol-u-feeds, infant feeding videos, pamphlets, etc). Some also provide help
recruiting physicians and provide the attending physicians and their offices
with free supplies and equipment. Some contracts also state that every
breastfeeding patient is to receive a discharge pack containing formula. This
is why administrators get so upset when you want to stop giving these out. If
you do, the hospital might lose all the free stuff that it has come to depend
on. The states of New York and Massachusetts have perinatal regulations which
forbid new breastfeeding mothers from receiving discharge packs containing
formula unless requested by the mother or ordered by the physician. Thus the
cards that are given to mothers reminding them not to forget to ask for their
free gift from the hospital, and the physicians who order that their mothers
receive these gifts.

There are many hospitals that purchase formula-- military hospitals, inner
city public hospitals (because most of the mothers receive WIC formula and
are not a profitable market to advertise to with the discharge packs, a few
other hospitals who are ready to become Baby Friendly have also started to
purchase formula. How much does it cost? Probably about $.50 a feeding for
formula-fed babies. Hardly enough to break the piggy bank. Hospitals have the
money to purchase formula. It is where they choose to spend their money that
is the issue. If they buy formula, then they lose all the freebies which can
translate into a considerable amount of money. Formula companies have created
a dependency that is hard to break. Money talks.

Getting the product into the customer's hand (sampling) is one of the most
effective marketing strategies around. Besides which, all that marketing and
advertising is tax deductable, so formula companies can make even more profit
while we get to help them with our higher taxes. All the bribes that are
given to health care professionals buy good will and the feeling that we
should not pick on these companies that do so much good. This is rubbish.
Many of the parents who buy formula could not afford to pay for the types of
meals and food that the formula companies are dropping off at hospitals
during the holiday season. Just say no!