Quite awhile ago, Pattie Hughes, our pregnancy guru wrote an article about the “breastfeeding support bag” that hospitals give out and how it undermines breastfeeding. A few of the commenters responded to her blog saying that it’s not a big deal. After all, you and I are aware that this is a marketing ploy and no one would say that a mother shouldn’t have a choice as to whether or not to breastfeed her child. Right?
Well a new study released in the American Journal of Public Health says that passing out diaper bags with free formula in them does in fact have a pretty significant impact on both the duration a mother breastfeeds and the exclusivity.
The Study Says. . .
According to the study, approximately 67% of mothers who initiated breastfeeding out of the hospital had received the bags with free formula in them. Of those who received the bags they were more likely to stop breastfeeding before 10 weeks. Also they were more likely to not breastfeed exclusively but instead give filler bottles. The study concludes that providing formula for new mothers at hospitals is a definitive marketing ploy and that it definitely has an impact on the duration that a mother breastfeeds and the exclusivity with which she breastfeeds.
So Why Does It Matter?
I’ve said before that encouraging mothers to exclusively breastfeed whenever possible saves hospitals a substantial amount of money per year. Breastfed babies are less likely to be admitted as infants with serious respiratory infections, pneumonia and dehydration from diahrrea or vomiting. Economically, encouraging mothers to breastfeed and helping them do so such that it’s a good experience, just makes sense.
In other words, providing women with a hospital bag full of free formula is essentially the hospital shooting itself in the foot economically. And for those who believe it really doesn’t matter. . .a study now says it does.
Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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