>Julie writes, "As a former home-visiting nurse to parents of >newborns, I can testify that giving a free can or two of formula at >each visit was a large part of my function. Mind you, if this >wasn't done, many parents wouldn't accept services, and some of >these babies wouldn't have been fed...period." > >This is shocking. I should stress that I'm only citing Julie's >words as just one more example of similar statements I've heard to >defend provision of free formula. Colleagues on both sides of the >Atlantic have told me that if free formula wasn't available, then >parents would feed their babies ordinary cow's milk, or coca cola, >or almost any other unsuitable liquid - deliberately. Can it be >true? Does this really happen?? I share your concerns, Pamela....and I too have heard the same warnings. I have always been very sceptical - I am certain that some parents would feed their babies anything because sadly, there are always ignorant, abusive, non-caring parents as well as truly inadequate ones or totally clueless ones, who mean well but who just don't know about baby care. But whether free formula prevents this, I really don't know. Free formula cannot replace the sort of supportive, caring and educational help with parenting the inadequate and the clueless need, anyway...if someone is really giving their baby fizzy pop (UK word for US soda) in a bottle, then they need a lot more than free formula. If they are abusive enough not to feed their kid, then the kid needs a lot more than free formula, too. Free samples of formula are never acceptable (except in cases of dire emergency). I could be persuaded that vouchers (like the UK Healthy Start vouchers which are exchangable for a range of foods inc formula) are necessary, if I was shown research that demonstrated babies would not get fed at all without them, or would be given fizzy pop. I also remain (along with Jack Newman) unconvinced that ordinary cows milk (boiled, diluted, sugared) is massively worse than formula, anyway....but I think the formula manufacturers have won that particular commercial battle now. Heather Welford Neil NCT bfc, tutor *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome