Just a couple of comments on promo packs (what a great name!). In the States
of Massachusetts and New York, the perinatal regulations state that
breastfeeding mothers are not to be given discharge packs containing formula
UNLESS the mother requests them or the physician prescribes them. The formula
companies have cards that are given to pregnant women by their obstetric
office, or mailed to women before their delivery date that remind these
mothers to ask their nurse for their gift before leaving the hospital.
Physicians "prescribe" these packs because most hospitals have a contract with
a formula company that states these must be given out to breastfeeding mothers
in order for the hospital to receive large sums of cash and other sundry
bribes.

I wrote a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Health Care Quality, which
is the agency that oversees hospitals in this state. I described to them this
practice and why it was a problem, including the fact that it directly
contradicted the Title V goals of this state regarding breastfeeding. They
told me that they needed a letter that lodged a complaint against one hospital
at a time!

I suggest that people from Massachusetts and other states as well, begin to
write a steady stream of letters to their state health department describing
this practice and how it neutralizes each state's efforts to increase
breastfeeding rates and duration. Tax payers subsidize the state agencies and
they are not doing their job of ensuring health quality when they turn a blind
eye to these practices. Ask the state to show how discharge packs fulfill any
of the Healthy People 2000/2010 goals that they use to receive federal funds!

Marsha Walker
Weston, Massachusetts