On October 1, changes were made to the
federal WIC program that provides nutritional support to low-income women,
infants and children. The goal of the new food package is to encourage
breastfeeding because mother's milk is best for babies. Mothers who
breastfeed will no longer receive any infant formula under the new program.
Mothers who choose to formula feed may receive up to 26% fewer infant
formula vouchers than were afforded in previous years. So what is the
economic impact of this new program and what does it mean to moms who
previously had their formula paid for by WIC? Some mothers may run out of
formula during the third week of each month. This means at the grocery
stores where they normally receive formula, moms will pay nearly $40 for
name-brand formula.
Downloadable video and other materials available at:
http://www.multimedianewscenter.com/pbmproducts/truth-about-infant-formula
Leading experts say that fewer infant formula subsidies may influence some
moms to make bad decisions. Some may dilute formula with extra water to
save money. Mothers may also substitute formula with ordinary cow's milk
or fruit juices, which should not be fed to infants who are younger than 12
months of age.
According to Robert Rapaport, M.D., Mount Sinai Medical Center pediatrics
department, infant feeding decisions of this nature may be harmful to the
baby. "It is very important to breastfeed or to feed babies infant
formula," said Dr. Rapaport.
What are responsible mothers supposed to do and is there a safe
alternative?