I have been reading the messages that are requesting research to respond to
MDs and others who give totally uncorroborated statements when THEY are
speaking - but expect us to corroborate with research every sentence that
comes from OUR mouth.

Yesterday was MY turn...an MD came to me and asked me why this mother,
whose baby had gastrointestinal surgery soon after birth (jeujunal
stricture), was INSISTING on getting human milk for her baby (we are
working on increasing Mom's milk supply...but that's ANOTHER posting) for
her baby.  "How can you justify having an insurance company spend $20,000
for milk for a year for an infant that we don't have PROOF can't tolerate
formula!"

SOOOO frustrating - so we want to TRY something that can make a delicate
baby SICK just to see if something which we KNOW won't make him/her sick is
necessary????  Does this make any sense at all?

AND:  Who said a year?

AND: Who said $20,000? Mom is making about 50% of baby's needs now and we
hope to increase this as the situation progresses.

THEN he mentions the "risks" of "donor milk" - and that "milk banks were
shut down in the 80's (which made me realize he hasn't read any new
research SINCE the 80s...)

So, I explained how milk banks work, in California they follow the
requirements of a tissue bank - which was something he DID understand.

THEN he says he doesn't believe in "all those studies about IQ and
all...those tests have very wide margins of error".

Well, I just listened, kept my temper and my mouth under control...then
(thank you Drs. Wight and Heinig and Dewey) I dropped off at his office
some material on Q and A about using human milk in neonatal setting...and
the research reviews done by Dewey and Heinig - 1996 - was it THAT long
ago?  Anyone have any newer "reviews"?)

The truth is, I don't know if he'll read it, but at least he was polite
when I dropped it off!  AND we're still on speaking terms.
Maybe I'll be able to continue to ("drop by drop" - think milk) ... educate
him!


Jeanette Panchula, BSW, RN, PHN, IBCLC
NEW e-mail address: [log in to unmask]

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