GREENVILLE, SC (FOX Carolina) -
New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg is calling for baby formula to be locked up to encourage breastfeeding.
Starting in September, dozens of New York city hospitals will ask mothers of newborns to sit in on seminars about why their breast milk is better than the sample formulas that many hospitals offer for free after delivery.
It's a measure that didn't catch Greenville Memorial Hospital's Director of Nursing Terri Negron off guard.
"We let them have their choice, but its our role to educate them on what's best for them and the baby," Negron said.
The new Latch On NYC initiative already has 27 of 40 hospitals in the city that deliver babies pledging to no longer hand out promotional formula unless it's for medical reasons, or at a mother's request.
Health experts from the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics have been encouraging nursing for years, saying benefits include milk rich in nutrients and antibodies that protect a baby. It's also easier to digest and is free.
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