Saturday, February 18, 2006

Massachusetts drops ban on hospital gift bags for new mothers - Boston.com

BOSTON --Hospitals can continue to distribute gift diaper bags with brand name baby formula and other goodies to new mothers after state health officials said Friday they have dropped what was believed to have been a first-in-the-nation ban on the practice.

The ban, which had yet to take effect, had been championed by advocates as a way to promote breast-feeding, but it received mixed reviews from some new mothers who said they -- and not the state -- should decide how best to nurse their children.

Although it never barred hospitals from giving out free formula, the ban would have ended a longtime marketing practice by formula companies that breast-feeding advocates said tried to lure new moms to a less healthy choice, with an implied hospital endorsement.



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