Reports undermine doctor-patient relationships

Just when we think we couldn't handle another milk scandal, a report by China Central Television revealed how doctors and nurses take advantage of the first milk that is fed to babies.

In September, CCTV reported practitioners inside hospitals are promoting certain milk brands for newborn babies to make them addicted and reliant on that brand. The news later went viral on the Internet and became a hot topic.

It is true that in some hospital, doctors and nurses in obstetric departments get kickbacks by promoting related products like milk, diapers and even souvenirs to the new parents. Many netizens are appalled by the report, asking how anyone could feel at ease making money out of newborns' health. But maybe the wrongdoings are exaggerated.

To get down to the issue, we first have to ask: Would babies really be addicted to the first milk they taste?

The best nutrition for babies is breast milk, but it takes hours or even days for new mothers to lactate. It is complicated when deciding what to feed newborns in the first few hours after they are born but before the breast milk kicks in. Feeding them water would do if they show no signs of weight loss or other weakening signs. Otherwise, parents should listen to doctors' advice to feed babies with either milk or special glucose. It is unwise for parents to just wait for natural breast milk and go against medical professionals' suggestions.

The report also fails to explain why and to what degree the baby would be “addicted” to milk. Actually, if the baby later shows signs of dependence, it is most likely due to the higher sweetness of milk compared with breast milk. In addition, it is easier to drink from a bottle than to suck from breasts. It is not reasonable that the baby would depend on a particular brand of milk more than other brands. That dependence, if there is any, is limited. So scientifically speaking, it is not accurate to use strong words like “addicted” and “depend on” in the report to create unnecessary panic. It is not an issue that affects health. That is a huge relief, for the seriousness of the issue is reduced.

But there is still some truth in the report. The first brand of milk provided to parents would gain familiarity and brand loyalty. Young parents become used to buying that brand. That is why hospitals even charge millions of yuan for a certain brand to gain a foothold. In the end, it is still patients who are paying the extra fees when there shouldn't be any.

A regulation released in 1995 regarding management of breast milk substitutes says explicitly that producers and sellers cannot give discounts or even free samples of their products to the hospital. Nor may hospitals accept any money in exchange for promoting a certain brand. If it is necessary for the hospital to provide milk, it should hide the brand's name.