Talk about mixed messages for new moms. Research unequivocally supports breastfeeding over formula for the health of baby and mom, yet an estimated 3.5 million new moms leave the hospital with a bag full of formula swag--coupons for Similac, samples, bottles and nipples, all packaged in a swank diaper bag.

"Multiple randomized studies have shown that when moms get formula samples at discharge, they stop breastfeeding sooner," says Alison Stuebe, MD, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine. Many public and private groups are opposed to hospitals giving out samples of formulas, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the World Health Organization.

Photo: Getty Images

The World Health Organization is on the brink of declaring the swine flu outbreak a true pandemic. That means it's on every continent (Australia tipped the balance) but it's still a fairly mild strain everywhere on Earth. For now.

Sleepaway camp concerns: One odd aspect of the H1N1 virus (the official name for what everyone still calls swine flu) is that it appears to be spreading even though the weather is balmy. No winter recluse is this. Now that kids are either out of school or eagerly counting the days, many parents are starting to worry about summer camp. Will swine flu outbreaks close summer camps just as they have closed schools? The answer is...it just happened. A Boy Scout camp in Utah closed on Tuesday, June 9. Expect more camps to close. Unlike schools, though, kids at sleepaway camp can't just take the school bus home immediately; it could be a logistical nightmare, and a big concern for parents hundreds of miles away from their kids.

It's easy to worry. Influenza experts are watching carefully for signs the virus may become more virulent now that it's in the southern hemisphere, and come back as not only a pandemic but a potentially dangerous one in the fall. For now, there are concerns for pregnant women and parents.

The best advice? Stay calm but stay informed.

Bookmark Health Beat and follow us on Twitter  

Food Inc, the upcoming documentary movie opening this Friday is already developing a pre-open buzz. It has disturbing information that can frighten you and revelations of sinister collusion that may outrage you but nothing in this film may move you as much as the story of Kevin Kowalcyk.  In 2001, a healthy two-year old ate a hamburger and died twelve days later. Diagnosis: E. coli O157:H7, the pathogenic form of the normally benign E. coli bacteria found in the gut. Source: the tainted hamburger meat.  Result: his mother, Barbara Kowalcyk, and grandmother, Pat Buck, have devoted their lives to advocate for safer food.
    
Foodborne illnesses such as E. coli 0157:H7 and salmonella sicken an estimated 76 million Americans each year; 325,000 get hospitalized; and 5000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many are children.
 
Food Inc. posits that factory farming, ever seeking cost-saving efficiency, is the major culprit.  As recent headlines dramatically reveal, E coli 0157:H7 is often spread by fecal matter, both at slaughterhouses and from farm run-off into the water and onto nearby agricultural crops.