Mayor Bloomberg to NYC Hospitals: More New Mothers Must Breastfeed

Mayor Bloomberg is getting behind the push for breastfeeding over the use of formula for new moms, a New York Post article reported.

As a part of the New York City Health Department’s voluntary Latch On NYC initiative, beginning September 3, the city will keep tabs on the number of bottles that certain hospitals use. And so far, 27 of the city’s 40 hospitals have agreed to the plan.

Numerous studies from around the world have shown innumerable benefits that come from a mother breastfeeding her child, including bonding with the baby and cost-savings. In addition to containing all the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs in the first six months of life, breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from illness. 

Participating hospitals will lock away most of their formula and begin documenting the medical reason for every bottle it gives to a newborn.

“New York City is definitely ahead of the curve,” said Eileen DiFrisco, of NYU Langone Medical Center, where the breast-feeding rate has surged from 39 to 68 percent under the program.

But not everyone is convinced: “They make formula for a reason, and the FDA makes sure it’s safe,” said Roxanne Schmidt, whose 14-month-old twins were fed with formula from birth. “Locking it up is just wrong.”

U.S. Senate Candidate Wendy Long issued an email statement on Tuesday calling on Bloomberg to reverse his decision:

“Whether in Washington or in New York, a governing philosophy that replaces personal choice with a nanny state bureaucracy is wrong,” said Long. “I can’t think of a more intimate or personal decision, and the notion of a government-imposed mandate stigmatizing women who chose to use baby formula is simply absurd.

“Finally, what’s even more ironic is a pro-choice politician dictating how to feed a newborn that he wouldn’t guarantee a right to life.”

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