Behavioral Interventions to Promote Breastfeeding: Recommendations and Rationale

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

Published eLetters

If you would like to comment on this article, click on Submit a Response to This article, below. We welcome your input.

Submit a Response to This Article

Compose eLetter

Title *

Author Information

Contributors
First Name and Middle Initial * First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'. Last Name * Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'. Email Address * Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson@gmail.com Occupation * Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'. Affiliation * Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.

Statement of Competing Interests

Competing interests? *

Yes

Please describe the competing interests

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

What code is in the image? *

Enter the characters shown in the image.

Vertical Tabs

Jump to comment:

Response to USPSTF First Recommendations to Promote Breast-Feeding
Alan S. Ryan

Published on: 03 September 2003

Published on: (3 September 2003)
Page navigation anchor for Response to USPSTF First Recommendations to Promote Breast-Feeding
Response to USPSTF First Recommendations to Promote Breast-Feeding
Alan S. Ryan, Scientist
To the Editor of the Annals of Family Medicine:
I am surprised that the authors of “USPSTF Issues First Recommendations to Promote Breast-Feeding” Ann Fam Med. 2003;1(suppl 1- 5):70-80 ) concluded that hospital discharge packs, with or without formula samples, were associated with lower rates of breastfeeding. The authors state that of the 35 studies analyzed, only one review found formula samples to be associa...
Show More

To the Editor of the Annals of Family Medicine:
I am surprised that the authors of “USPSTF Issues First Recommendations to Promote Breast-Feeding” Ann Fam Med. 2003;1(suppl 1- 5):70-80 ) concluded that hospital discharge packs, with or without formula samples, were associated with lower rates of breastfeeding. The authors state that of the 35 studies analyzed, only one review found formula samples to be associated with lower breastfeeding rates. There are in fact several peer-reviewed studies that show the provision of infant formula samples has no impact on breastfeeding rates. For example, a recent meta analysis of 9 randomized, controlled trials involving 3,730 women found that when hospital discharge packs (with or without formula) were distributed to new mothers there was no effect on early termination of breastfeeding.(1) At best, the research on this issue is inconclusive (see Ryan et al (2) for brief discussion of this issue).
Interestingly, a national public opinion survey of mothers’ attitudes and opinions on breastfeeding and infant formula, conducted for Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories by Fairbanks, Maslin, Maullin & Associates with Wirthlin Worldwide (August 2002), found that 92 percent of mothers approved of the provision of free infant formula samples and 85 percent of mothers said infant formula samples were not a major factor in their own infant-feeding decision. The survey also found 57 percent of mothers made their infant-feeding decisions prior to giving birth.
Sincerely,
Alan S. Ryan, PhD Senior Research Scientist, Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories
1. Donelly A, Snowden HM, Renfrew MJ, Woolridge MW. Commercial hospital discharge packs for breastfeeding women (Cochrane Review). In: The Cochrane Library. Oxford, United Kingdom, Update Software; 2002.
2. Ryan AS, Wenjun Z, Acosta A. Breastfeeding continues to increase into the new millennium. Pediatrics 2002;110:1103-1109.
Competing interests: None declared
Show Less

Competing Interests: None declared.