An oddly timed aside in debate over formula

THE PIECE by Joanna Weiss (''Lactation nation: A few things I wish the breast-feeding advocates had told me," Ideas, Feb. 19) was interestingly timed, as debate rages over whether Massachusetts should reverse the Public Health Department's restriction on manufacturers' so-called gift bags of infant formula, which are given out to new mothers at hospitals (''Romney to undo ban on formula," City & Region, Feb. 18).

It would be a shame if anyone were to confuse the difficult situation of Ms. Weiss, who was clearly working hard to breast-feed, with formula manufacturers' mass marketing strategy. What each mother does is indeed her choice, and I am sure Ms. Weiss, when she gave her baby formula, was able to fulfill that choice by visiting the supermarket. A mother with fewer resources would have been able, in most instances, to obtain free formula from the WIC program.

The debate that is going on right now has little to do with choice.

Imagine no one breast-fed. Formula manufacturers would still want to give out free gift packs, because when women take their brand home from the hospital, this appears as hospital endorsement, and they are likely to keep using that product instead of another. Are we so naive that we cannot spot this strategy? Does anyone really think the formula companies are doing this to be nice to people?

Boston Medical Center serves low-income families with pride, and we have not given out these free bags to our new families for almost a decade. Why? Because it is not the hospital's job to help market formula. We market health.

ANNE MEREWOOD
Boston

The writer is assistant professor of pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine and research director at the Breastfeeding Center, Boston Medical Center.