Mayor Bloomberg stirs controversy between breastfeeding and formula
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Columbia University event monday, from www.nyc.gov
SYRACUSE -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is getting some backing for his campaign to help promote breastfeeding. The administration of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is not looking into any such policy. Spokesperson Alexander Marion said the mayor is taking a neutral position on the issue and following both sides.
The mayor has received some flak over a new city policy, taking effect in September and reported in Sunday's New York Post, that discourages baby formula from being used in hospitals. While some are chiding the mayor for imposing a "nanny state," The National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy says it's a good program.
The Alliance's executive director says keeping baby formula under lock and key, like medicines are kept, helps prevent hospital staffers from reaching for a bottle first, instead of encouraging new mothers to nurse their babies.
New York City's program called Latch On NYC is voluntary for hospitals, and is part of a nationwide effort to improve newborns' health by promoting breastfeeding for babies.
Mothers who insist on bottle-feeding will be able to do so, but nurses would have to sign out the baby formula, which would always be on hand for mothers who have difficulty breastfeeding.
Faith Rayland from the Fayetteville La Leche natural breastfeeding group says the policy would help encourage breastfeeding - which doctors agree is better for babies.
"From what I understand, the rates of breastfeeding in New York City have been increasing and are doing really well right now. And I think if in the hospital women were given support, information and encouragement, rather than immediately being given formula, that could help more women succeed," said Rayland
The program is voluntary and formula would still be available at hospitals for mothers who are having trouble nursing. The American Academy of Pediatrics says babies who are naturally breast fed have a lower risk for diabetes, infections and sudden infant death syndrome. At Crouse Hospital's maternity ward in Syracuse, Dr. Steven Gross advocates for breast feeding but says formula should not be stigmatized.
"There are many people that can not afford not to work and they have little choice but to use formula for the babies. And I don't think mothers should be made to feel bad for that," said Gross.
Crouse Hospital lactation specialist Kathy Rushmore also encourages breastfeeding but she says the choice should be left to mothers and their physician. Many new mothers also supplement natural breastfeeding with formula when needed.
"I think that we need to support breastfeeding as much as we possibly can but I think we also have to recognize that we are fortunate enough to be in a society where we have alternatives," said Rushmore.
On Facebook, posts related to the breastfeeding versus formula debate have generated heated discussions. One woman who worked as a nurse with new mothers said her experience shows women don't take kindly to being told what to do with their bodies. Several others are critical of Mayor Bloomberg for presuming he can tell women whether to use formula or breastfeed their infants.
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
