I’ve read about water intoxication - a potentially fatal condition. I remember that marathoners can get it if they drink too much water during a race. It has something to do with sodium levels dropping dangerously low.

I didn’t realize that this condition can strike infants who are given supplemental water or diluted infant formula. I knew that infants should not receive any supplemental water until they are at least 10 months old, but I didn’t realize that water intoxication was one of the reasons. I had always figured that if infants were supposed to have water it would come out of their mothers’ breasts, right?

Anyway, a recent article in the Tampa Tribune tells a shocking story of a baby who nearly died because his strapped-for-cash mother added extra water to his infant formula in order to make ends meet.

The mom and baby participate in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. The mom gets monthly vouchers for infant formula - but not enough to get through the month.

About 2 million formula-fed infants nationwide are served by the WIC program. While the program claims to promote breastfeeding and sets goals to improve breastfeeding rates, the rate of breastfeeding among WIC clients consistently lags behind the rest of the US population. The general population rates, by the way, aren’t all that great either.

So you know where I’m going with this, right? Forget that the  case worker didn’t figure out that the baby was malnourished (check out his picture in the article).

Why are the breastfeeding rates so low among WIC clients? The WIC fact sheet says “Mothers participating in WIC are encouraged to breastfeed their infants if possible”.  What is it about WIC moms that makes it impossible for most of them to breastfeed? Give me a break. We all know that new breastfeeding moms need lots of encouragement and skilled guidance. Breastfeeding is a learned behavior. That “if possible” part alone is enough to undermine the confidence of many inexperienced breastfeeding mothers, especially in the early days and weeks. No wonder most of them switch to formula.

So we have the “if possible” part combined with the formula vouchers (and samples of formula given out at hospitals and clinics to many WIC moms) conspiring to promote formula feeding among the poorest families in America. How is this good for infant health and nutrition?

The WIC program consumes more than half of the infant formula sold in the US. After the WIC caseworkers have failed to successfully support breastfeeding, why are they giving out some, but not quite enough formula to these mothers? Why can’t we commit to making breastfeeding for all babies a national priority?

This reminds me of something else. For over 30 years I have boycotted Nestle products (an ever growing number) due to their aggressive infant formula marketing practices in developing countries and the resulting infant deaths. These practices include women dressed as nurses giving out free samples and promoting the “benefits” of formula feeding to some of the poorest new mothers on the planet.

The women who are the targets of this sleazy promotion have little understood that feeding formula will dry up their milk. They don’t always understand in advance how much it really costs over the weeks and months to formula feed. By the time they realize they don’t have the money to continue paying for formula their own milk has dried up. And they don’t necessarily have access to safe water with which to mix the powdered formula which then becomes a thin solution of formula, water and harmful microorganisms. Their babies die of malnourishment and dehydration caused by the diarrhea that surely follows mixing powdered formula with unclean water.

Isn’t WIC doing a similar thing?

I don’t understand why we accept this “breast is best, but formula is OK, too” mentality. Formula feeding is harmful.

I am really upset that in spite of what the CDC, the FDA and the USDA say about “breast is best”, my tax dollars are actually going to promote infant formula feeding.

One more thing: The WIC program is part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Ever wonder why? That’s because, like the Food Stamp program, it’s not actually a health program, it’s a farm subsidy program. In this case it’s dairy farmers who are being subsidized at the expense of infant (lifelong) health.