1. US Hospitals Violate WHO Policy on the Distribution of Formula Sample Packs: Results of a National Survey
- Author
-
Marcella Singleton, Tina Navidi, Anne Merewood, Radha Sadacharan, Xena Grossman, John T. Cook, and Karen Peters
- Subjects
Marketing ,business.industry ,Infant, Newborn ,Breastfeeding ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Distribution (economics) ,Sample (statistics) ,World Health Organization ,Hospitals ,Infant Formula ,Patient Discharge ,United States ,Discontinuation ,Breast Feeding ,Cross-Sectional Studies ,Nursing ,Infant formula ,Health care ,Humans ,Medicine ,business ,Breast feeding ,Health policy - Abstract
The World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes, as well as most major medical authorities, opposes hospital-based distribution of free infant formula at discharge. The goal of this cross-sectional telephone survey of 3209 US maternity sites, conducted from 2006 to 2007, was to determine the extent of this practice. It was found that 91% of hospitals distributed formula sample packs, and a trend toward discontinuation of the practice was statistically significant (P < .001). It was concluded that most US hospitals distribute infant formula samples, in violation of the WHO Code and the recommendations of organizations including the US Government Accountability Office, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. J Hum Lact. 26(4):363-367.
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF