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Florida Baby Hospitalized From Drinking Watered-Down Formula

A Tampa hospital is cautioning cash-strapped parents against watering down baby formula, after a 5-month-old almost died from the money-saving strategy.

Last week La'Damian Barton was hospitalized after he had a seizure and stopped breathing. Doctors diagnosed him with water intoxication and malnourisnment.

His mother, 23-year-old Jeri Moss, says she had no idea adding the extra water was dangerous. She was trying to stretch the allotment of baby formula cans she receives each month from the federal WIC program for low-income families. The technical college student says she couldn't afford to buy more.

Too much water can stop a baby's body from absorbing the nutrients it needs from milk. It can also lead to an imbalance of electrolytes.

I cannot for the life of me understand why those who are in financial problems don't breast feed...It's FREE!

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Me said…
I agree with you in part but some women physically can't breastfeed or have difficulty with their scheduling/childcare. It must be very difficult for them because formula is SO expensive!

I think it's great that it is expensive though because it provides financial incentive to breastfeed in addition to the other benefits.
12/02/2008 09:25:00 pm
Nancy Cavillones said…
I think part of the problem is that a lot of women of childbearing age lack BFing role models. Many babies born in the 70s were formula-fed because that was the norm then. My mother was the rare case in BFing my sisters and I.
Also, the likelihood of a woman BFing is directly correlated to economic status and educational attainment.

It all comes down to educating women about their options, whether they BF or not.
12/05/2008 11:18:00 pm
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