by Amy Spangler
February 12, 2007

Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City  is best known for his efforts to wean New Yorkers off nicotine and trans-fats, but recent actions show that the health and safety of babies continue to be an important focus of the Bloomberg agenda.

On April 13, 2005, Mayor Bloomberg launched a child safety advertising campaign called, “Take Good Care of Your Baby.” Since then, the city has lined 500 subway cars with safety messages telling parents how to keep their baby safe during sleep and about the risk of shaking a baby or leaving a baby alone.

The NYC Health Department is now expanding their good-parenting-campaign in an effort to get more moms to breastfeed. According to NY Post reporters Susan Edelman and Carl Campanile, Dr. Thomas Frieden, NYC Health Commissioner reported that, “We don’t yet have any hospitals in New York City that meet national baby-friendly standards. This means getting formula out of the nursery. It means putting the baby on the breast immediately after birth. It means making sure every person who interacts with a mother and child is supportive and encouraging of breastfeeding.”

Unfortunately, no good deed goes unpunished. Despite Edelman’s and Campanile’s great article on the subject, comments in response to a gothamist post demonstrate why initiatives like Bloomberg’s are needed.