| If this is not your name, click here. | | |
| | Contact Us | Order Now | Journals | Bookstore | Register a colleague | | |
| | | ![]() Hospital Infant Formula Packages Have No Effect on Breast-Feeding CHICAGO -- July 23, 1997 -- A study in the July issue of the American Medical Association (AMA) journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine disputes previous research that says hospital discharge packages containing infant formula encourage new mothers to stop breast-feeding. The researchers evaluated a sample of 763 breast-feeding mothers and found that formula packages had no effect on the duration of breast feeding. Upon discharge, the women received one of three packages including: a manual breast pump; samples of infant formula; or a manual breast pump and samples of infant formula. Among all three groups, the average duration of exclusive breast-feeding was 6.5 weeks and 10 weeks for partial breast-feeding. "This study brings into question the policy of banning infant formula discharge packages from hospital maternal-fetal units,” the authors write. According to the results, the duration of exclusive and partial breast-feeding did not vary significantly among the three groups in this study. However, the duration of breast-feeding was much shorter than the goal established by the Healthy People 2000 report of 75 percent of women initiating breast-feeding and 50 percent continuing to breast-feed at six months, the authors report. "Therefore, health professionals should focus their efforts on supporting the breast-feeding process and the positive health benefits for the infants," the authors conclude.
|