Howard Co. General Hospital to end free baby formula
Posted: 07/10/2012
COLUMBIA, Md. - Howard County General Hospital will no longer give away free baby formula samples to new mothers.
In an effort to get the hospital to a “Baby Friendly” designation, Howard Co. General will join 90 other hospitals in a collaborative program called Best Fed Beginnings. The program was recently launched by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ).
The hospital is one of only two in Maryland starting this initiative. They hope to raise the rates of breastfeeding among new mothers.
On average 30.9 percent of breastfed infants in Maryland receive formula before 2 days of age. That’s 24.5 percent higher than the national average according to the Center’s for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's certainly a difficult, but significant designation to obtain and Howard County General is well on its way, already implementing a number of the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding." Doris Cybert Wilcher, Lactation Consultant at Howard County General said in a statement.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
PRINT
Special Reports
-
SPECIAL REPORT | Day care inspections
SPECIAL REPORT | Thousands of child care center inspections reports are NOW AVAILABLE. Find out what inspectors founds inside day care centers across the state.
-
Inside a Criminal Mind | Jason Scott
SPECIAL REPORT | When it's out of your hands, when your life is at the mercy of an armed, masked man staring down at you from the barrel of a gun in your own home, you grasp at whatever it is you can control; breathing, composure, or faith.
-
SPECIAL REPORT | Bad Medicine
SPECIAL REPORT | ABC2 Investigator Joce Sterman has reviewed thousands of pages of documents for her Bad Medicine report.
Health
-
Lauren Cook takes Bridal Boot Camp
The Brick Bodies' Bridal Brickover intensfies this week as ABC2's Lauren Cook and her cousin, Elena take "Boot Camp."
-
Bridal Brickover: "Total Body Workout"
In week 7 of the Brick Bodies Bridal Brickover, ABC2's Lauren Cook and her bridesmaids are turning up the intensity with "Total Body Workout."
-
Could grilling cause cancer?
Could your grilled burger cause cancer?
- Stay Connected
