Desirree, if you are interested in learning how formula companies interact with hospitals to get them to peddle formula, go to the Ban the Bags website at www.banthebags.org. This will explain much about how and why commercial gift bags are distributed by hospitals. If you have questions after reading the material at this website please contact me as the co-chair of the Ban the Bags campaign here in the US.

The newest trend seems to be formula companies providing bags without formula samples so that hospitals don't have to worry about recording batch numbers and the name of the patient the bag was given to in case there is a recall. Exclusive breastfeeding is reduced whether or not there is a formula sample in the commercial bag. Hospitals need to break their addiction to formula company money and be accountable for delivering evidence-based health care not acting as a shill for a product that can harm their patients.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA



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