On Wed, 2003-02-05 at 22:09, Kathleen Bruce wrote:
> I loved this one, since it describes the Texas public health ad ...from
> the National Transportation Safety board, where the parent who doesn't
> use a carseat goes to hell.
I agree, it's a great letter. Unfortunately, she had a typo in it! 3rd
paragraph, 4th sentence should read "They should know that their child
may have a lower IQ if bottle-fed than if breastfed."
The whole thing, as it should have read, is below.
regards,
Beth Johnson
perinatal educator, pp doula
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lactation Information and Discussion
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kathy Dettwyler
> Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 12:29 PM
> Subject: My note to the doctor about guilt
>
>
Dear Dr. Robert Johnson,
I am an anthropologist who does research on breastfeeding and weaning
practices, both cross-culturally and in evolutionary perspective. I
speak often at lactation-related conferences and at universities. I
have an entire presentation I do on the issue of guilt and
breastfeeding, titled "Promoting Breastfeeding, Promoting Guilt?". I
have a written version that I would be happy to send you, if you send me
your street address.
I understand your concerns about "bashing" parents over the head and
turning them off to the information you are trying to convey, whether
about car seats, immunizations, or breastfeeding. The problem I see
with the current state of affairs with ob/gyns and pediatricians is that
they actually *withhold* information from parents about the risks of
formula-feeding for fear of making parents feel guilty when they choose
not to breastfeed.
I think parents should have accurate and complete information about the
consequences of their infant feeding choices, and then it should be up
to them to choose how to feed their babies. They should know that
formula increases their child's lifelong risk of many diseases,
including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and breast cancer. They should
know that formula-use increases the mother's risk of breast cancer.
They should know that their child may have a lower IQ if [bottle-fed] than
if [breastfed]. If they feel guilty for choosing to formula-feed, after
having been given this information, that would seem to be an appropriate
emotion.
Many public health campaigns actively and deliberately use guilt to
compel people to behave in ways that are good for them. Physicians often use
guilt to encourage women not to smoke or drink or use illegal drugs
during
pregnancy, and to have their children immunized. My personal favorite
is
"Larry's Lament," a public service announcement for the radio from the
National Transportation Safety Board in which Larry (one of the
crash-test
dummies) doesn't put his child in a car seat one time, they have an
accident, the child dies, and Larry goes to hell. Another is the
"Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk" campaign. There are also guilt
ads for mammograms, prostate cancer screening, and learning CPR (Red
Cross' "What kind of a wife just stands there while her husband has a
heart attack?").
I think physicians need to use whatever approach they feel will work
best with the particular patient they are dealing with -- some patients
respond better to direct orders, others to education, others to
incentives. But it is never acceptable to tell parents that there are
no risks from formula use, that the benefits of breastfeeding "aren't
that significant" or cease after a certain length of time, and that
formula is "just as good as" breast milk. Physicians should always tell
parents the truth about the consequences of their choices. In addition,
physicians should support parents in their decision to breastfeed, and
be knowledgeable about how to handle problems, or be able to refer
patients with breastfeeding problems to board-certified lactation
consultants.
I hope you will send me your street address so I can send you a copy of
my talk on guilt.
> >Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.
> >Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition
> >Texas A&M University BIG TWELVE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS!!!
> >http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
> >mailto:[log in to unmask]
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> -------
> Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D. email:
> [log in to unmask]
> Anthropology Department phone: (409)
> 845-5256
> Texas A&M University fax: (409)
> 845-4070
> College Station, TX 77843-4352
> http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html
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