NYC mayor, hospitals promote breastfeeding initiative

Not long after putting forward a ban on oversized sugary drinks, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is again taking flak for promoting a public-health initiative. Through "Latch On NYC," 27 of 40 New York City hospitals will promote breast-feeding among new moms -- to the extent of "locking up" baby formula and documenting a "medical reason" for all bottles dispensed. No new moms will be denied formula if that's what they want -- but moms will get a mini-lecture on the benefits of breast-feeding along with each bottle of formula. Corporate-sponsored schwag promoting baby formula -- like "lanyards and mugs" -- will also be outlawed. Predictably, opinion was split, though breast-feeding advocates are cheering the move. Others were less enthused: "If they put pressure on me, I would get annoyed," one mother-of-two told the New York Post. [Source]