If brand B is better for a baby and I have no samples, I still recommend
brand B.  No question about it.  But formula names can be very confusing to
physicians and parents.  For instance, Similac named their lactose free
formula "sensitive" and it flew off the shelves. (not by my recommendation,
I really think there are very few babies with true lactose intolerance).
But parents like to think that their newborn is sensitive.  So they changed
all their formulas to sensitive for awhile, sensitive soy, sensitive for
spit up, etc.  I would get in disagreements with parents because they did
not even know what they were feeding their baby.  I cannot remember what
color a certain can is, but sometimes that is all the parents know about
the formula they bought for their baby. If I have a sample can of formula
in the office, sometimes it is helpful to even figure out what formula the
parents have put their baby on.  And if they need a formula change, I can
show them the can, if I have it.  If I don't have it, I look it up online
to figure out the color.  I would never make a formula recommendation based
on what samples I have in the office, but having them can sometimes bring
clarity to a confusing situation.

I realize I cannot speak for all physicians, but I can't help but comment.


Liz Dedman, MD, FAAP, IBCLC
Growing Healthy Children
Louisville, KY

[image: Inline image 1]



On Tue, Feb 21, 2012 at 9:04 AM, TERESA PITMAN
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> If you needed to advise a formula-feeding mother to use a different kind
> of formula, could you not simply write down the name of the formula you are
> recommending on a piece of paper and give that to her?  I do think that the
> act of handing over the can of formula, and the fact that you have these
> cans in your office available to be given out suggests some things to the
> mother that you may not intend: that I expect to be handing out formula
> (because formula feeding is normal), that I have a relationship with the
> formula companies (that's why they give me these nice free samples) so
> formula companies must be good, that I think highly of this formula (that's
> why I'm giving you some of it), etc. If Brand A has given you some free
> samples, and you really think that Brand B would be a little better for
> this baby, but you have no samples of it, which are you going to recommend?
>
> Teresa Pitman
>
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