Hi all,

Just writing to vent a bit, having had a 20 minute ream out from a
pediatrician yesterday because I recommended that a baby's frenulum be
clipped -- mom was suffering excruciating pain, and although it was evident
that the frenulum would probably not be a problem for the baby, it certainly
was for the mother.  (I wrote about this the other day).  So, I called the
peds on behalf of the mom, and got this diatribe on how clipping was
unscientific because we didn't have a controlled, double blind study of 1000
kids with a tight frenulum half being clipped, the other half not, and then
published in a REPUTABLE journal (sorry, Kathy A, the JHL doesn't qualify),
as he proceeded to list the 14 journals he reads....  and he went on and on
and on.  Meanwhile, I was FUMING!, but managed to stay cool, and simply
interject periodically, "Yes, I understand your point.  But meanwhile, what
are we going to do about Mrs. X?"  Then he threatened me with court because
of all the complications that could result from snipping the frenulum, and
that I would be in the front row with him -- I agreed to go, should we need
to, and "meanwhile, what are we going to do about Mrs. X?"  And then he said,
that if our professional organization was anything at all, we would have a
study about frenulum (frenula?  frenuli?) and the appropriateness of
clipping.  Obviously, he said, our professional organization wasn't doing
what it should.  "Meanwhile," I said, "What are we going to do about Mrs. X?"
 I did mention that if Mrs. X should stop bf because of the pain, then baby X
would go on formula, and being there was a high history of allergies in the
family, this could be problematic and HE said, "Oh no, allergies are not
associated with use of formula, but with early introduction of solids."  I
decided NOT to tackle that one.  And he went on to tell me that if I ever
used, "In my professional opinion" in any medical school, even if I were the
founder of medicine, I would be thrown out on my ear.  That snipping a
frenulum was folklore, and didn't need to be done, and he had many babies
with short frenulum that went on to bf appropriately without difficulty, and
there were probably multiple factors that were causing the sore nipples, not
the frenulum, etc.  And I said, "In my professional opinion, having ruled out
all the other causes of sore nipples that I can ascertain, this baby needs to
have the frenulum clipped."

The upshot of it was that he was going to refer her on to an ENT in town, and
"get out of the loop" so he wouldn't get sued.  What a wuss.

And what a wonderful beginning to my day.  NOT!  Of course, he did
sarcastically say, "Well, if she does get it clipped, and the pain goes away,
You'll be a star."  Guys, I don't want to be a star, I just want to get help
for this mother.  "Do you want the information I have on frenulums or not?"
 So, I sent him all the articles from the JHL (sorry Kathy), and then looked
up anklyoglossia on medline to get the references from the 'reputable
journals" and guess what -- the only ones listed in Medline on tongue tie &
bf were from the JHL!!!  I got a real chuckle out of that!!

I must stop.  Thinking about that exchange yesterday makes my blood boil.

Jan Barger in Wheaton where spring might come the end of the week.