Young Families in Israel Pay Twice for Formula Marketing

The Knesset economic committee met this week to discuss the law limiting formula marketing in Israeli hospitals. Last Friday, Haaretz published an article by Ruti Levi on the arrangements between formula companies and hospital maternity wards. Currently, the companies pay large sums in order … [Read more...]

Whose Babies Are They Anyway? Breastfeeding Twins in an Israeli Hospital

Rachel Gurevich left a comment in response to the proposed law requiring parental consent for feeding formula to newborns. When I wrote to her about publishing it as a new post, she asked to expand it. What follows is quite harrowing. I included a few short comments. Rachel writes: The proposed … [Read more...]

Proposed Law Promotes Breastfeeding in Israeli Hospitals

Likud MK Danny Danon has introduced a law preventing formula companies from advertising in maternity wards. If passed by the full Knesset, hospitals will no longer accept free formula and other gifts from manufacturers. Currently companies compete for the chance to "donate" formula and valuable … [Read more...]

Haredi Public Shortchanged by Formula Freebies

Q: How was the haredi public mekupach (shortchanged)? A: Because Superpharm, the drugstore chain, included only regular dairy infant formula in its giveaway for new parents. Haredi parents require mehadrin formula, produced under a higher level of kashrut supervision. Readers reported this … [Read more...]

Purim Links, Baby Names and More

Purim is coming soon! Here are links for the holiday and more. I posted about Israeli Baby Names at the Nameberry blog. Our Shiputzim translates the Megillah into Heblish. Jacob Richman has a wonderful collection of videos and websites for Purim. In light of the earthquake in … [Read more...]

Flaws in Study of Breastfeeding and Dairy Allergy

A new Israeli study making the rounds of the internet is claiming that exclusive breastfeeding, instead of preventing allergies as has been shown by numerous studies, actually increases the risk for dairy allergy. The researchers conclude that parents should give cow's milk in the early days and … [Read more...]

Breastfeeding Expert Dr. Jack Newman on Marketing, Heroin and More

Yesterday I went to hear Dr. Jack Newman at the La Leche League Conference for Breastfeeding Professionals at Tel Hashomer hospital. I have summarized some of the more interesting points below. In the context of discussing the International WHO Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes (Israel is … [Read more...]