On Thursday, Apr 24, 2003, at 22:06 Australia/Perth, Diane Perrone
wrote:

> The discussion on the new products are well taken, but I must agree
> with
> Marian's assessment that these will be very helpful to working mothers
> who often must wash out their pump parts in bathroom sinks or sinks in
> common eating areas that may be less than spiffy-clean.

Pump parts need not be submerged for every cleaning, so sink
cleanliness is not relevant; a good hot rinse is adequate (for healthy
immunocompetent babies). If mums do have access to a sink but don't
trust the water spout, it is as easy to carry a bottle of clean water
as it is to carry wipes - do you know any lactating mums who don't
carry water at all times? - or even carefully use boiled warm water
from the office teakettle.

Most of the office-working pumping mums I know buy multiple sets of
flanges in ziplock bags so as to not have to think about washing at
work at all, largely because of time constraints. Another option is to
ziplock and refrigerate the milky horns, with the pumped milk and just
use them again, as freshly pumped milk is clean and safe for about a
week in the refrigerator.

I've exclusively expressed for over six months in all kinds of
environments, including travelling, and never felt the need for antibac
wipes. As an aside - how does the wipe get into all the nooks and
crannies on the flanges and valves?

Mums who are camping, on active duty, on the road etc may be an
exception, if bottled water is somehow not an option - but looking at
the advertising, the company seems to be marketing this as a pumping
essential for _everyone_ : "After each session"; "In the car, at work,
travel and more." Because as we all know, human milk is all dirty and
germy. This might not be the company's intention, but I can guess that
this will be the perception in some mothers' minds. The vitamin D
recommendations are implying deficiency, the antibacterial wipes are
implying dirtiness and infectiousness, what next?

I feel that, as health professionals, it should be each and everyone's
responsibility to discourage the unnecessary use of any antibacterial
products in every part of our lives. Their proliferation is out of
control and is causing untold damage to those who are genuinely
vulnerable.

</rant>

Lara
family doc in Perth, Western Australia

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