Gail wrote of the pressure of the formula companies to promote their products
to pregnant women during their prenatal visits. You may wish to ask your
hospital if they have recently signed a contract with the formula company.
Typically these contracts specify that the formula company will give a large
sum of cash to the hospital (and a number of other items and services), that
the hospital will in turn accept free formula and give out formula-containing
gift packs to all women including breastfeeding women.

The next step is to contact and report this to your ethics committee and ask
that it meet to discuss if passing out potentially harmful products fits
within the mission of the hospital. Also have your hospital attorney present
when the ethics committee meets as the formula company will yell loudly when
people finally wake up and understand how they are being used.

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
Weston, MA

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