Whether it's in the legislature, in our hospitals, or at kitchen tables, we know that taking care of the most vulnerable among us is a must. That is why, as the former chair of the Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee, I fought to invest in rural health care and to protect rural nursing homes.
I have often said that government works best when it is transparent. Nowhere is that more important than in healthcare, especially when it comes to protecting the most fragile, tiniest of babies.
Most babies are born weighing about 7 pounds. Premature babies can weigh much less. The smallest can fit in the palm of your hand and can weigh around two pounds.
These tiny babies with extremely low birth weight need extra care to stay alive, care beyond what other preemies need. Their food is key. Yet today, Washington health officials are not doing enough to give families information about what food is best.
At issue is what kind of extra nutrition, called fortifiers, these babies are fed.
Because these babies have such unique needs, the milk they receive needs fortifiers to boost their bodies. We now know these babies do better when the fortifiers come from human milk, and not cow milk. Human milk appears to better protect against a devastating bowel infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), which can lead to lifelong problems or even death.
Sadly, instead of just explaining what nutrition is best for these babies, federal health regulators are trying to have it both ways. Their official statements praise fortifiers made from human milk but downplay the risks of others.
In the end, the government acts like all formulas are the same. That may be true for most babies, but not for the smallest most fragile and sick ones. If research shows human milk helps protect the smallest infants, then Washington should say it. Parents and doctors need clear, honest advice so they can give these babies a real chance.
Big formula manufacturers can do more, too.
It recently became public that one manufacturer has been repeatedly contacted by hospitals caring for extremely low birth weight babies about cases where medical professionals believed its cow milk-based fortifier was associated with a diagnosis of NEC. Instead of reporting this information to regulators, Abbott stayed quiet. Now the company is pushing Congress to pass a law that would protect it from hundreds of lawsuits.
As someone who believes in transparency, I find this whole episode disappointing. Hiding the truth or dodging blame never helps the public. Even when the truth is hard, people deserve to hear it. Instead of protecting companies, Congress should demand answers. And instead of sending mixed messages, federal health officials should just tell it straight.
The tiniest of babies and their parents do not have time for legal debates or confusing health talk. They need clear, honest information, and they need it now.
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Representative Larry Bagley is the Former Chair of House Health and Welfare Committee and represents District 7 in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
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