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Fri, 22 Sep 1995 19:47:13 -0400 |
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I have often wished there were another "diagnosis" for the well-loved and
cared-for breastfed baby who isn't gaining weight. "Failure to thrive" is
just the most incredibly negative term. It has to be devastating to a new
mother to have her child labeled FTT--and herself labeled, by implication, as
incompetent, un-nurturing, ignorant, abusive, etc. I saw a mom this summer
whose baby was an ounce or two below birth weight at his two weeks peds
exam---and the pediatrician marked FTT as the diagnosis for billing
purposes--at two weeks!!! Good grief!!! I saw them at three weeks, by
which time the baby had more than made up for his slow start, and was
obviously thriving.. The mom was more than a little distressed, but she was
an intelligent, mature woman who knew the term had been misapplied in her
case, so she didn't panic and run for the formula, which I figure is the more
common reaction. (She also didn't confront the pediatrician or ask him to
explain, I think because she was so overwhelmed at the time.) It seems to me
to be an act of cruelty to use such a pejorative term casually.
Judy D in WV
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