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jan_andreaOur local free paper (Dover Community News) ran this article a few weeks ago: http://www.seacoastonline.com/2005news/12232005/south_of/79393.htm
A little heavy on the "MA officials are fascists who demand breastfeeding" angle, but it's pretty clear.
Well, the middle school has a thing going where they make the 8th graders write letters to the editor regarding things they've read in the DCN. Here are their gems of responses to that article: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/dover/01202006/letters/83647.htm (scroll down about halfway).
Um, duh. These girls seem to think there's no more free formula at all -- apparently they read only part of the original article's headline at best. So I wrote a reply to them.
To the editor,
In regards to the two letters written by eighth graders Stephanie A. and Karysa T. [names shortened to protect their web privacy] which appeared in the January 20 edition… the choice to feed babies breastmilk or artificial baby milk (formula) is still the parents' choice. The only think blocked by the Massachusetts law is the distribution of free *samples* of artificial baby milk at hospital discharge. The sample was generally enough for 6-8 feedings (a day's worth at best), hardly enough to sustain a newborn over the long term. Numerous studies have shown that the distribution of these samples lowers breastfeeding rates: new parents, lacking faith in the mother's natural abilities, assume that a crying newborn must not be getting enough breastmilk (which is *very* rarely the case) and turn to the samples, thus interrupting the cycle of demand and supply upon which successful breastfeeding depends, and creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of "not enough milk". It was this situation that the law is intended to reduce.
In fact, free formula is still readily available for those who truly need it, through the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. The samples given by hospitals are a marketing maneuver at best, calculated to introduce well-meaning new parents to artificial feeding methods even when it is not necessary. The truth is, even working mothers can breastfeed or combination feed (giving artificial milk while they are away and breastfeeding when they are home). For those who choose to use artificial milk anyway, the free samples make little difference, aside from establishing brand preferences. (Why do you think the samples are given out? It's because formula manufacturers make billions of dollars selling their artificial milk, and most parents who receive the samples and go on to feed formula will stick with the sample brand – it's a very competitive market.) Many studies done over many years have demonstrated without a doubt that babies who are fed artificial milk are statistically less healthy than those who are fed naturally, and it's time that hospital practices reflect that fact.
Of course, all of this information was available in the original article. Perhaps the eighth-graders in question might benefit from improving their reading comprehension, before jumping to wild conclusions.
Because, damn, 13-year-olds are ignorant. 10:1 says their formula-feeding mommies were upset by the article and vented at them, prompting their choice of topics. Bah humbug, I say. \
A little heavy on the "MA officials are fascists who demand breastfeeding" angle, but it's pretty clear.
Well, the middle school has a thing going where they make the 8th graders write letters to the editor regarding things they've read in the DCN. Here are their gems of responses to that article: http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/dover/01202006/letters/83647.htm (scroll down about halfway).
Um, duh. These girls seem to think there's no more free formula at all -- apparently they read only part of the original article's headline at best. So I wrote a reply to them.
To the editor,
In regards to the two letters written by eighth graders Stephanie A. and Karysa T. [names shortened to protect their web privacy] which appeared in the January 20 edition… the choice to feed babies breastmilk or artificial baby milk (formula) is still the parents' choice. The only think blocked by the Massachusetts law is the distribution of free *samples* of artificial baby milk at hospital discharge. The sample was generally enough for 6-8 feedings (a day's worth at best), hardly enough to sustain a newborn over the long term. Numerous studies have shown that the distribution of these samples lowers breastfeeding rates: new parents, lacking faith in the mother's natural abilities, assume that a crying newborn must not be getting enough breastmilk (which is *very* rarely the case) and turn to the samples, thus interrupting the cycle of demand and supply upon which successful breastfeeding depends, and creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of "not enough milk". It was this situation that the law is intended to reduce.
In fact, free formula is still readily available for those who truly need it, through the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program. The samples given by hospitals are a marketing maneuver at best, calculated to introduce well-meaning new parents to artificial feeding methods even when it is not necessary. The truth is, even working mothers can breastfeed or combination feed (giving artificial milk while they are away and breastfeeding when they are home). For those who choose to use artificial milk anyway, the free samples make little difference, aside from establishing brand preferences. (Why do you think the samples are given out? It's because formula manufacturers make billions of dollars selling their artificial milk, and most parents who receive the samples and go on to feed formula will stick with the sample brand – it's a very competitive market.) Many studies done over many years have demonstrated without a doubt that babies who are fed artificial milk are statistically less healthy than those who are fed naturally, and it's time that hospital practices reflect that fact.
Of course, all of this information was available in the original article. Perhaps the eighth-graders in question might benefit from improving their reading comprehension, before jumping to wild conclusions.
Because, damn, 13-year-olds are ignorant. 10:1 says their formula-feeding mommies were upset by the article and vented at them, prompting their choice of topics. Bah humbug, I say. \
