Babies vs. Big Business
Imagine that the world had invented a new “dream product” to feed and immunize everyone born on Earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery — and helped mothers to plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer.
Then imagine that the world refused to use it.
With that thought in mind, this past week, there was a happy bit of medical news :
The New York City Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC) today announced that (as of August 1, 2007) its 11 public hospitals will exclude free baby formula samples from gift bags to new mothers, will ban formula promotion materials from labor and delivery units and will encourage initiation of breastfeeding in the baby’s first hour as part of a campaign to increase exclusive breastfeeding and improve infant health. “We want to do all we can to improve the health of the littlest New Yorkers and encourage the use of mother’s milk for the nearly 21,000 babies born in our hospitals each year,” said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. “We are promoting breastfeeding to help reduce the risks of common childhood infections, asthma, diabetes and other conditions that children who get mother’s milk are less likely to develop. Like our baby t-shirts say - we want as many newborns as possible to ‘eat at mom’s.’”
This is an amazing development! For those of you who have not been involved in this long-running healthcare debate, here’s a review:
For decades, science has proven, and pediatricians confirm, that breastfeeding is far and away the best way to feed infants: better nutrition, better immunity, better mother-baby bonding, better physical health for the mother…the list goes on. Still, because of our infatuation with new things (like plastic bottles, instant food, disposable anything, etc.) and the increasing need and desire of mothers to work in the marketplace, we have been led away from the miraculous blessing of breastfeeding and into the world of artificial baby formulas. The result: today, fewer and fewer women in America breastfeed.
Over the years, the companies that make infant formula have forged questionable partnerships with hospitals to provide free samples of formula along with free coupons to new mothers, even while hospitals say they promote the more natural alternative, breastfeeding. At a time when many new mothers can’t even afford health insurance, they are encouraged to spend money on formula that they don’t need. While bottle feeding is a personal option and some may argue that giving free formula samples helps low income mothers, there is nothing cheaper than breastfeeding! Even more important, infants born into poverty are the most needy of the healthy aspects of breast milk!
It’s babies vs. big business!
Now for the really troubling part of the story. The media is part of the conspiracy! (who knew?!) Read on.
With a critical eye for the insidious messages of the formula companies, one woman’s recent post points out what many viewers might have missed. Her comments concern the Today Show and their medical editor Nancy Snyderman’s negative response to the NYC hospitals’ decision to stop offering samples. Here’s evidence of a hidden agenda:
Not surprisingly, among the sponsors for The Today Show that day were: Juicy Juice Harvest Surprise, Purina Cat Chow, Purina Kitten Chow, and Lean Cuisine. Who owns these companies? Nestle, one of the biggest formula manufacturers in the world. Oh, but there’s more. There were also commercials for Ensure (made by Abbot Labs, maker of Similac infant formula), Centrum, Preparation H, and Caltrate (all three owned by Wyeth, maker of infant formula). There could be more, but if there are, they were harder to find. From just the aforementioned sponsors, the ones I was able to spot (with a little help from another blog reader and mom who wishes to remain anonymous) that’s eight commercials paid for by companies that have a stake in how well formula sells.
Based on what was discussed, the negative slant (against breastfeeding), the obvious denouncement by MSNBC’s own Chief Medical Editor (Nancy Snyderman) of the formula sample ban, and the evidence of conflict-of-interest presented by the parent companies of many of that show’s sponsors, I would NOT say The Today Show from the morning of August 2, 2007 was reporting on the NYC formula ban fairly and without bias.
Peacemakers have to be “on guard” all the time, don’t we?! As always, money talks!
This issue is an especially heartfelt one for me. I am, as you may have read in other posts, the daughter, wife and mother of doctors (my daughter is a pediatric resident enthusiastically in favor of breast feeding). Additionally, thirty years ago when I was a new mother, I was an enthusiastic proponent of breastfeeding: I worked with the La Leche League, participated in a breast milk research project and spoke out against companies which, in the guise of philanthropy, sent formula powder to third world countries where mixed with polluted water, it led to diarrhea, dehydration and death for poor babies. In fact, to this day, I refuse to buy Nestle products.
For those reasons, I applaud the NYC hospital system for their courageous stance on behalf of healthy babies. Infant formula “gifts” are a powerful messages to young mothers discouraging breastfeeding in favor of an expensive, less healthy alternative that serves the bottom line of the formula companies.
This long-standing paradigm is just another example of how we have unwittingly let corporate America direct our healthcare. Kudos to the few hospitals willing to take a stand — now let’s see who else is brave enough to follow!
For too long, we have been silent on this and other health issues; it’s time to take care of young families. It’s babies versus big business! Let’s encourage hospitals to put patients above profits. Call or write your local hospital and family doctor. Inspire them to adopt this new policy.
Use InSpiration for the Greater Good!
You can be a blessing!
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August 15th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
This is a powerful message! Dr. Bill Price encouraged me to breast feed for as long as I could for my baby’s best interest. I did breast feed for the 1st month and then went back to teaching. I wish that we had known more about the pump and etc. almost 28 years ago. Both my doctor and my daughter’s doctor maintained that was why she was such a stong and healthy child the first year with just regular check-ups and she has continued to have good heath. Even that short period of time, we reaped great benifits from mother’s milk
I have e-mailed this to our daughter and ask her to read this from the stand point of a lawyer and a some day mother.
Excellent article!!!
Thank you
August 15th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
hummmm….I didn’t breastfeed but I support it wholeheartedly. It is difficult and painful when EVERYTHING else hurts, and I didn’t have a lot of support.
August 17th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Lack of support by other women who have enjoyed breastfeeding is the reason most American women decide not to nurse their babies. In generations past, that support came from a close circle of female friends and family members. These days, unenthusiastic hospital nurses are the ones who are with new mothers in the first few hours and then women go home, alone for the most part, to a confusing barrage of unfamiliar expectations and discomfort. For women in poverty or dysfunctional families, the circumstances are even worse. Wouldn’t it be great if experienced, successful mothers shared their encouragement and wisdom (about breastfeeding, mothering, sex, depression, etc.) with the younger mothers in their lives? In healthcare, we have let our infatuation with technology and “modern” medicine dismantle many natural social connections that should connect us. This is just one example, think of how we have kept people separated at birth, at death, after injury, etc. Our health would be much better served by personal nurturing as part of our medical care. We need to be a blessing for each other!
September 29th, 2007 at 7:32 am
I have to say, that I could not agree with you in 100% regarding Babies vs. Big Business, but it’s just my opinion, which could be wrong