I think the tricky part ethically doesn't have a lot to do with the WHO
code. The ethical issue has to do with the fact that if you rent pumps and it
helps, as the original poster stated ,to keep a lactation practice  viable
then it might be tempting to push a pump where one is not  totally
warranted. I am not saying that the original poster would ever do  this but I could
see where it might be tempting.  I work in a hospital  based lactation
program which has a pump rental station.  This is for the  convenience of our
patients who absolutely need a pump to establish or  maintain a milk supply when
baby is not effectively breastfeeding.   The money for pump rental doesn't
even come back into our dept. Also it is  a lot of extra work for the LC's
to rent a pump so it is never in our best  interests to encourage a mother to
pump who does not really need to.  It is a great help to our
families,however,to be able to rent a pump before  discharge if they do really need it.
They don't have to run around looking  for a pump and we know that we are
providing them with a really effective  hospital grade pump. We chose our vendor
by looking at the two major companies  that lease hospital grade pumps  and
going with the one who gave us the  best deal. We were then able to pass on
the savings to our families. I believe  that any time we sell or rent
products we have to make absolutely sure that they  are used to facilitate
breastfeeding. It is a slippery slope when the profit  motive comes into it.

Kathy Boggs, RN, IBCLC

Hello Sarah,

Pump rental is not ethically tricky in itself.
Where  do you see the tricky points...?
Pumps are not a WHO-code-product.
You are  not allowed to advertise products under the WHO-code scope.
You are not  supposed to advertise for a non-WHO-code-compliant
manufacturer.
You can,  however, let people in your area know that you rent pumps.
Does this help...?  ;-)

Bye,

Marianne Vanderveen IBCLC, Netherlands



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