Advertisements for infant feeding formulas may discourage some women from breastfeeding and should not appear in doctors' offices, prenatal clinics and hospitals, researchers suggest. Educational materials about infant feeding should support unequivocally breastfeeding as optimal nutrition for infants; formula promotion products should be eliminated from prenatal settings.

The results of the study show that information brochures produced by formula companies, samples, and business reply cards for free formula could be linked to a significant decrease in the number of women who breast-fed their babies in the first 2 weeks of life. Further, these materials shortened the breastfeeding duration of women who did not plan to breastfeed for more than 12 weeks.

Breast milk is widely considered to be the best way to feed an infant. Studies have shown that breast-fed infants have lower rates of infection, allergies, and certain chronic diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women breastfeed for at least the first 12 months of life.

However, only about 59% of women in the US breastfeed their babies immediately after birth. That number drops to 22% by 6 months. These figures are less than national health goals set for the year 2000, where experts hoped that 75% of new mothers would breastfeed and 50% will breastfeed to 6 months.

Formula promotion materials deliver equivocal messages about the desirability and ease of breastfeeding and are designed to enhance the use of formula as a sole or complementary feeding method. The study authors note that the World Health Organization's code for marketing of breast-milk substitutes prohibits the distribution of free samples, the promotion of formula in healthcare facilities, and the use of pictures idealizing artificial feeding.

Obstetrics & Gynecology February 2000;95:296-303

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

One of the most reprehensible acts of these multi national corporations is to influence women to not breast feed their babies so they can sell them their formula. This is a prescription for serious potential health problems for their babies. There are many reasons why women can or will not breast feed their babies. I would never judge a woman for not doing it, although it is important to stress that it is probably the most important thing that a mother can do for her baby. However, it is easy to criticize a company for influencing them not to simply so they can make more money by sacrificing the child's future health. If one does need to use commercial based formulas, it is wise to avoid soy for the reasons mentioned in this and last week's newsletter. It is wise to use the Carnation products, such as Good Start, for the first six months of life as it is a hydrolyzed protein which is far less likely to cause allergenic responses. However, make sure that taurine is added to the formula, as I was informed recently that the company does not add it, as the others do. Also, if a woman is interested in breastfeeding but still needs to go back to work for whatever reason, it would be very beneficial if she investigated the possibility of pumping or expressing her milk. If you need breastfeeding supplies, such as breast pumps, you can try Nursing Mother Supplies, which carries a wide variety of products to help you successfully breastfeed. (Note: A small percentage of any sales generated by going through the link above will be donated back to the website, to help me to continue to supply this completely FREE service.)