Hi everyone,

I need your help, please. Our state WIC dept. recently revised our guidelines
for assigning formula brands to patients; I assume this was a cost-saving
measure. The guidelines are as follows:

1. The ONLY cow milk formula that will be allowed is the contract formula
En*a*m*l with iron. NO prescriptions will be allowed for other cow milk
formulas
(as in the past).

2. If a baby doesn't tolerate the above formula, we may try the contract soy
formula, Pro*o*ee. Non-contract SOY formulas WILL be allowed by MD
prescription.

Having worked in WIC for almost 2 decades, I know that for unexplained
reasons many infants will tolerate one brand of cow milk formula better than
another. (I believe the mothers!) My concern is that more babies will end up
on soy formula, a food that has recently been scrutinized in New Zealand and
which may have potential harmful side effects...even more than cow milk
formula,
that is.

If you have access to any respectable (soy) articles, eg, the New Zealand
study,
please let me know! I'd like to share them with some key people at the state
level.
Also, please feel free to share your comments/advice about this situation.

Thanks!
Diana Dietz, RN