Ruth wrote of her conversation with a formula rep and the standard line they
are all taught about how expensive it would be for a hospital to purchase
formula. This is nearly always brought up to sidetrack the conversation so we
would think that free formula is necessary to keep a newborn nursery open.

Infant formula is food for babies (not what we would like them to have, but
still an attempt at food). Babies are patients in the hospital. Patients are
fed food that the hospital purchases. The cost of this food is passed onto the
patient in the room and board charge for staying there. The hospital incurs no
real cost for formula as it is passed on to the bill for the baby. Infant
formula should be bought just like jello and mashed potatoes. If you classify
formula as a medical nutritional then the cost  is still passed on to the
patient as a drug charge.

There is no reason a hospital cannot buy formula. If it cannot afford food for
its patients then it should close the unit. The problem arises to the hospital
when it buys formula because then they do not get the cash they have been
bribed with to accept the free formula and pass out the formula-containing
discharge packs. Now the hospital has lost thousands of dollars in cash,
services, videos, literature, pens, coffee mugs, trinkets, continuing
education, sports tickets, donuts, and ski trips. We have had maternity units
in New England offered large amounts of cash to change their unit protocol to
once again allow formula discharge packs to be given to breastfeeding
patients. We had a residency program in a hospital offered a large sum of
money if they would get the nurses on the maternity unit to change the
breastfeeding policy and give out formula packs.

Since when do we let formula companies dictate health policy and nursing care
to our new mothers and babies? The BFHI is right on target when it identifies
this practice as a system barrier to breastfeeding. If a mother can be
convinced to supplement with formula it creates a new customer where there was
none before. Marketing is marketing--just say no.

Marsha Walker
Weston, MA