<<<..."the right of a mother to choose how to feed her baby, i.e. *not* to
breastfeed, if that
is her choice, as opposed to the right of the baby to be breastfed?:...>>>

The parents/guardians of a minor child have the right to decide healthcare
treatment options - including refusal of all options.

Usually in the U.S., however, when a medical treatment (i.e. vaccinations,
blood transfusions) or a state-sponsored program (i.e. public education) is
refused, an avalanche of medical/state/federal legalities befall the
parents....least of which would be the "waiver" they would be REQUIRED to
sign listing all of the horrific consequences (sic) that would occur as a
direct result of their decision/actions.

(Of course, at the other extreme would be threats of or actual removal of
the minor child "in the best interest of the child".)

........Where are our "refusal to breastfeed" waivers that will protect
healthcare personnel from lawsuits when the parents tragically discover
years later that their child has juvenile diabetes or some more
life-threatening disease that, when they do a literature search, they
"discover" may have been prevented with exclusive breastfeeding, but "no one
ever told them that"?

Or, to be more positive, where are our "consent to artificially feed" forms?

Warmly,
Lynda - fondly missing Linda Smith when these issues are discussed

Lynda Cook Sawyer, RN, BSN, MBA, IBCLC
Las Vegas  NV - not Boca, either  =-[



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