The formula companies claim that their discharge packs (with free samples
of formula) do not lessen the duration of breastfeeding.  An interesting
study by Pamela Hill, Sharron Humenick, Mary Brennan and Deborah Woolley
found otherwise.
Titled, "Does Early Supplementation Affect Long Term Breastfeeding?," and
reported in Clinical Pediatrics, Volume 36, no. 6:345-350, June 1997, the
researchers found that "The breastfeeding rate at 20 weeks postpartum was
significantly greater for mothers who reported feeding exclusively
mother's milk the second week after delivery compared with mothers who
breastfed and simultaneously supplemented with manufactured infant milks."
There were big differences between the groups, though both had initially
intended to breastfeed for the same length of time.

(This study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Health.)

The study wasn't specifically on discharge packs, but was on the influence
of introducing formula along with breastfeeding, which formula companies
had claimed did not interfere with breastfeeding duration.

Anne Altshuler, RN, MS, IBCLC and LLL leader in Madison, WI
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]