Howard County General Stops Infant Formula Gift Bags
The hospital is taking steps to achieve recognition for supporting breastfeeding mothers.
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This story has been updated to include additional statements the hospital released Tuesday.
Howard County General Hospital officials said they will end the decades-long practice of giving gift bags of free baby formula samples to new moms.
“We want to give patients everything possible to help support breastfeeding," Doris Cybert Wilcher, a Howard County General Hospital lactation consultant, told Patch.
Hospital spokeswoman Sharon Sopp said the hospital, where about 3,200 babies are born a year, is currently giving away the samples, but that it “will end in the near future,” a decision that was made “as an institution.”
Howard County General Hospital will join hospitals across the country that have begun to halt the formula gift bags.
The decision is part of the hospital’s efforts to achieve a “Baby-Friendly” designation, a project of the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality, a Boston-based nonprofit organization.
Howard County General Hospital is one of two hospitals in Maryland participating in the project and one of 90 nationwide, selected from 235 applicants, officials said.
The children’s health care organization said breastfeeding is “one of the most effective preventative health measures for infants and mothers,” but said that 50 percent of U.S.-born babies are given formula within the first week. Breastfeeding rates “are lowest among low socio-economic populations,” the organization says.
The “Baby-Friendly” designation would mean the hospital successfully implemented what the initiative calls the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” an effort it will undertake for 22 months while working with and learning from the other participants.
Those steps include giving no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants at the hospital, nor giving newborn infants any food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
"We want to assure our community that, while the hospital encourages mothers to breastfeed, as it is beneficial to the health of baby and mom, if a mother chooses not to breastfeed or is not able to breastfeed, we will provide her with the formula and support to do so," Sopp said Tuesday.
The hospital cited numerous benefits to breastfeeding, including how antibodies in breast milk decrease the incidence and severity of childhood illness; reduced infant mortality; reduced risk of childhood obesity and decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers for mothers.
The International Formula Council, an industry association that represents the makers of infant formula, defended on its website the practice of formula gift bags at hospitals, which has been done for more than four decades, saying the “real barriers” to women and long-term breastfeeding include work and school demands, milk production issues, breast pump expense and “the feeling that breastfeeding restricts freedom.”
In December of 2011, hospitals in Rhode Island joined together to end the practice in an effort to increase breastfeeding, according to the Boston Globe.
The Public Citizen, a D.C.-based nonprofit organization, says the “vast majority” of hospitals still give away free formula to new moms.
“Infant formula companies are directly harming babies’ health and undermining the health care mission of hospitals by engaging in this destructive marketing practice,” the organization said on its website.
In April, the organization sent a letter to more than 2,600 hospitals criticizing the practice of handing out formula gift bags, according to the Huffington Post.
The Huffington Post also cited a recently released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, called a “Breastfeeding Report Card” for 2011, which said that 30.9 percent of breastfed infants in Maryland receive formula before 2 days of age, which is higher than the national rate of 24.5 percent.
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Should hospitals stop giving free formula gift bags to new mothers? Tell us in the comments.
CAW21227
5:45 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Wow, I hardly know where to begin! So, if you deliver at Howard County General you will be forced to breastfeed? If you choose not to breastfeed will the hospital respect your wishes?
If the hospital does not want to encourage formula feeding that is it's right, but this quote from this article "Those steps include giving no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants at the hospital, nor giving newborn infants any food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated" disturbs me. The hospital does not have to give you formula to take home but to withhold sustenance until the mother acquieses to the hospital's wishes sounds "gestapo" to me.
Polly
7:16 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I was shocked to read this myself. I'm all in favor of breastfeeding, but sometimes it's just not possible. Whatever the reasoning behind this, the hospital has no business deciding for the mother. I happen to really like this hospital and even though I'm way past my days of having babies, this is just wrong. Shame on you for bowing under the pressure.
M2SH
8:51 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I understand that breastfeeding has many benefits but some moms just can't do it for other reasons. What happened to each mom chosing what is right for their child? Why not give out the samples to the parents that want them and are a much appreciated gift for alot of new moms. Even though I'm sure that these samples are given as a gift from the makers of the formula I still can't help to believe that this all comes down to money and how much it will save them as well as time managing the gift bags. If I were expecting I surely would reconsider another hospital to deliver at after reading this article.
CN
10:20 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
The idea that the formula corporations are giving out "gifts" is comical. They are marketing their product to ignorant parents. The hospital has simply made the decision to no longer be a conduit for the marketing and advertising of corporations that make formula. They are doing the right thing. If a mother asks for formula, the hospital will still give it to them.
DawnP
9:04 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
I applaud this move by HCGH, and I think that people are being overly alarmist by assuming that this change in policy amounts to "forcing" women to breastfeed. If a mother chooses not to breastfeed or is unable to for some reason, then feeding the baby formula would be "medically indicated." Of course the hospital is not going to "withhold sustenance" from newborns!
This change is about *encouraging* (not forcing) breastfeeding, which medical professionals agree is best for babies. The practice of handing out "gift bags" with bottles and formula samples has the effect of discouraging breastfeeding, because it gives the impression that the hospital is recommending or endorsing the formula provided. Bravo to HCGH for sending the unequivocal message that breastmilk is best.
Howard County General Hospital
10:50 am on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
We want to assure our community that, while the hospital encourages mothers to breastfeed, as it is beneficial to the health of baby and mom, if a mother chooses not to breastfeed or is not able to breastfeed, we will provide her with the formula and support to do so.
Sandra Conway
12:15 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Its called 'If you want to formula feed, bring it yourself!!!'.
Breastfeeding is awesome! Research chemicals in formula. Now that is disturbing!
Adam R
5:54 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Our daughter was on soy milk from the first feeding, she puked up the regular stuff. Fortunately HC Hospital had that back in 1996, and our nurse recognized the need for it. Lactose intolerant was our little bundle of joy, just like her daddy. Breast feeding would have never been an option.