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WOMEN STOP BREASTFEEDING SOONER BECAUSE OF INFANT FORMULA SAMPLES AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
Taken from MCH Alert
The distribution of commercial infant formula promotional materials and samples in obstetric offices shortens breastfeeding duration, states Cynthia R. Howard, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Dr. Howard presented her research findings at a Research Roundtable seminar held on February 1, 2001, at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) in Rockville, MD. The research roundtable was sponsored by MCHB and coordinated by the National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health.
For her study, Dr. Howard and colleagues recruited 547 pregnant women and randomly assigned them to one of two groups: one group that received a commercial formula pack as part of their prenatal education materials and one that received a noncommercial pack. The authors found that:
  • There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of breastfeeding initiation;
  • A significantly higher percentage of women in the commercial formula group stopped breastfeeding while in the hospital;
  • A higher percentage of women in the commercial formula group stopped breastfeeding less than 2 weeks postpartum;
  • There were declines in long-term breastfeeding duration in all categories of breastfeeding (exclusive, full, and partial breastfeeding) among the commercial formula group; and
  • Among the women who had a defined goal for breastfeeding, the intervention did not affect the likelihood that they would attain their personal goal.
Dr. Howard stated that "the study findings support the elimination of commercial formula promotion products in prenatal settings. . . . Health professionals must ensure that patient educational materials clearly and unequivocally support breastfeeding as optimal for both mother's and baby's health."
Howard CR. 2001, February. Antenatal formula distribution: Effect on breastfeeding. Seminar held at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in Rockville, MD.
MCH Alert. 2001. Arlington, VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health. (http://www.ncemch.org/alert).

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