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A recent article in The New York Times reported on rising US breastfeeding rates. In the article, Bobby Philipp, a pediatrician at Boston University, pointed to formula bags as a key obstacle to breastfeeding success. Noting that most hospitals still market formula to new mothers, she said:

That’s a problem because at least five studies have shown that when a doctor or nurse hands the family that bag, even if they take the formula out, that mother will have less success with breast-feeding

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Mothers who take home a formula company gift bag are more likely to stop exclusively breastfeeding their babies by 10 weeks of age, according to a new study in the American Journal of Public Health by the Oregon Department of Public Health. Oregon has taken the lead in banning hospital marketing of branded formula, according to a report on the study in The Oregonian.

By Melissa Bartick, MD, MS
Chair, Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition

February, 2007 — In Massachusetts, getting hospitals to stop marketing baby formula became a battle of words fought in the press and in the corridors of the State House. In February 2006, then-Governor Mitt Romney directed our state’s Public Health Council to rescind the country’s first state regulation to ban hospital distribution of formula company discharge bags. Romney, his spokesman, and other opponents of the ban argued that women should be “free to choose” how they feed their babies, and that women should not be “forced” to breastfeed. Read more »

Formula companies aren’t the only ones who co-opt health care providers to pitch expensive pharmaceutical products — read about how physicians are opting out of expensive meals from drug companies in the Washington Post.

Hold the Hors d’Oeuvres: Program Helps Doctors Stay Current Without Accepting Drugmakers’ Meals

Marsha Walker, a long-time advocate for mothers and babies, sums up why your hospital shouldn’t be part of the formula marketing racket. This one-page summary was instrumental in moving formula marketing out of a Texas hospital. Take it to your adminstrators today! Read more »

Increasing attention is being directed towards compliance requirements in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Some of these regulations have implications for those who purchase, recommend, receive, and/or distribute infant formula.
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Show your support for Ban the Bags with mugs, badges, t-shirts, and even a Ban the Bags Bag. Visit our online store. Proceeds support the Ban the Bags campaign.

Health professionals should prepare talking points for interview situations, contact with the press, or meeting with legislators or public health officials and avoid being drawn into debates that make them appear to be zealots. The following are common industry assertions and claims by opponents followed by useful responses. Read more »

Moving marketing out of hospitals requires a multipronged approach, ranging from legislation to public awareness to hospital policy change. See how others are tackling this problem across the country. Read more »

As of May 2006, leaders at 11 of the 52 maternity hospitals in Massachusetts had put mothers and babies ahead of formula company profits. The state’s report card lists births, breastfeeding rates, and bag policies statewide. Read more »